May 13, 2024Detailed House farm bill summary released prior to scheduled markup
U.S. House markup of a draft 2024 Farm Bill is scheduled for May 23. On May 10, Glenn “G.T.” Thompson released a title-by-title summary of the House Agriculture Committee’s draft.
The House bill will increase funding for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative and for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program while doubling funding for the Market Access Program, which supports Potatoes USA’s international marketing.
“As the details are becoming available, it is clear that both the House and Senate are prioritizing specialty crop competitiveness in a way that was unthinkable twenty years ago before the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance was formed,” Kam Quarles, CEO of the National Potato Council, said after attending a May 10 House Ag Committee briefing. “The National Potato Council welcomes these investments and looks forward to enhancing them as the Farm Bill process moves forward this year.”
According to the summary (.pdf), the House bill will:
- Increase the mandatory funding level for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative to $175 million per year ($45 million is set aside for mechanization and for emergency citrus disease funding).
- Increase the mandatory funding level for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program to $100 million per year, a $15 million increase per year from the 2018 Farm Bill.
- Maintain the current definition of specialty crops.
- Double funding to $400 million annually for the Market Access Program, which supports Potatoes USA’s international marketing programs.
- Increase funding for the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program and improve year-round availability of incentives through the use of all forms of produce (frozen, fresh, canned, and dried).
On May 1, the House and Senate released summaries of proposed farm bills.
