The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance applauded the bipartisan leadership of the Congressional Specialty Crop Caucus for calling for immediate and equitable economic relief for specialty crop producers and urged Congress and the administration to act without delay.

More than 100 members of Congress sent a letter to the House and Senate agriculture committees addressing the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farmer Bridge Assistance Program. The effort was led by caucus co-chairs Reps. Jim Costa, D-Calif.; David Rouzer, R-N.C.; Sanford Bishop, D-Ga.; and David Valadao, R-Calif.

“After months of uncertainty, specialty crop growers urgently need clarity and meaningful relief, and we appreciate the Specialty Crop Caucus for elevating this issue and making clear that specialty crops must be included in any relief package for American agriculture,” the SCFBA co-chairs said in a statement. “Specialty crops are both an economic engine and the source of the most nutritious foods in the American diet, but current policies fail to reflect their importance to public health and food security.”

Specialty crops — including fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, nursery, greenhouse and floriculture products — generate more than $75 billion annually in U.S. agricultural cash receipts, account for more than one-third of all U.S. crop sales and support rural economies nationwide, the alliance said. Under the current USDA farm aid framework, however, $11 billion is allocated to row crops while $1 billion is reserved for specialty crops and other commodities, with key details on eligibility, payment formulas and timing still unresolved.

At the same time, specialty crop producers continue to face rising labor, fertilizer, fuel and pesticide costs without corresponding increases in market prices.

“We strongly support the caucus’s call for USDA to act swiftly, provide transparency and build on proven relief models such as the Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops Program and CFAP-2 to ensure assistance reaches growers quickly and fairly,” the SCFBA co-chairs said. “Specialty crop growers cannot afford further delay, and we urge congressional leadership and the administration to move immediately to deliver proportional, transparent and timely relief that reflects the economic significance and unique cost structures of specialty crop agriculture.”

The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance is co-chaired by Cathy Burns, chief executive officer of the International Fresh Produce Association; Mike Joyner, president of the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association; Dave Puglia, president and CEO of Western Growers; and Kam Quarles, CEO of the National Potato Council.