To amend the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 to require the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a pilot program to provide recovery payments to producers of seasonal and perishable crops that experience low prices caused by imports, and for other purposes.
The Protecting Our Produce Act would create a five-year pilot program requiring the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide financial assistance to farmers who grow certain perishable crops when import competition drives down prices. The program targets producers of asparagus, bell peppers, blueberries, cucumbers, and squash that are sold fresh and marketed within four weeks of harvest. To qualify, farmers must have average annual income below five million dollars and derive at least 75 percent of their income from farming, ranching, or forestry. The payment amount would be calculated based on the difference between a historical reference price (average of the past five years) and the current market price, multiplied by the farmer's average production over the past five years. The bill authorizes $200 million annually to fund the program from 2025 through 2029.
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