U.S. Rep. David Valadao (R-CA) on Monday joined his fellow co-chairs in announcing they are resuming the work of the bipartisan congressional Specialty Crops Caucus, which addresses issues facing the nation’s specialty crops industry.
“I’m excited to be co-chairing the Specialty Crops Caucus to ensure our specialty crop producers have a seat at the table in Washington,” Rep. Valadao said.
The congressman is one of four co-chairs, who also include U.S. Reps. Jim Costa (D-CA), David Rouzer (R-NC), and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI). They will work to help build support for policies that allow U.S. specialty growers, processors, and partners to prosper by providing American families with safe, affordable, and nutritious foods, according to the lawmakers.
“Specialty crop producers have faced many challenges over the last few years,” said Rep. Valadao. “From supply chain backlogs at our ports, rising input costs, labor shortages, and drought — our producers have continued to supply the world with fresh, nutritious food despite these obstacles. Specialty crops are a cornerstone of California agriculture, and we need to ensure these producers are supported at the federal level.”
The caucus will work to introduce and support legislation that benefits specialty crop producers and address issues such as market access, research funding, and sustainability measures, the members said.
“California is the leading producer of specialty crops, with over 400 different crops. Any Farm Bill must include strong, bipartisan support for specialty crops,” Rep. Costa said. “This caucus will continue advocating for policies that allow specialty crop growers to continue providing American families with safe, healthy foods.”
In the United States, the lawmakers said that specialty crops account for more than one-third of farm gate value, represent 2.2 million jobs across all 50 states, and contributed $120.6 billion in labor income to the American economy last year.
Specialty crop producers applauded the co-chairs for their leadership in Congress to raise awareness about the industry, including Grimmway Farms in California and the Almond Alliance.