United Fresh members strongly support all efforts to expand federal government investment in the U.S. produce industry in order to increase the competitiveness of the domestic industry. We believe that specialty crop agriculture - predominately fruits and vegetables - should receive a much stronger funding commitment within U.S. agricultural policy, with investments focused on research, infrastructure, nutrition, new technology, and other areas to help producers compete more effectively.
Background
One of the most significant victories for the U.S. fruit and vegetable industry in the 2008 Farm Bill was the authorization and mandatory funding for Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. That victory resulted in increasing funding to $49 million for FY2009. This amount will increase to $55 million in the next fiscal year and remain at that level through the life of the bill.
Industry Resources
