Bipartisan bill expands disaster relief for specialty crop growers

As farming communities across the country recover from recent natural disasters, U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), along with Reps. Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.), Kat Cammack (R-Fla.), Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), and Austin Scott (R-Ga.), announced bipartisan, bicameral legislation they hope will improve access to federal agriculture disaster programs.

Currently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture prohibits payments to growers with combined farm and nonfarm adjusted gross income above $900,000, which excludes the vast majority of specialty crop growers, such as those growing strawberries in California or apples in North Carolina, from receiving critical disaster relief.

The Fair Access to Agriculture Disaster Programs Act would waive the AGI restriction on producers who get 75 percent of their income from farming, ranching, or related farming practices, ensuring producers can access key disaster relief programs.

The legislation comes as the USDA works to deliver $21 billion in agricultural disaster assistance that Congress passed in December for producers impacted by natural disasters in 2023 and 2024, including victims of Tropical Storm Hilary. It also comes ahead of the extended deadlines for Congress to pass the Farm Bill before it expires later this year.

“From wildfires and drought damaging our farmland to storms flooding our fields, growing conditions for farmers in California and across the country are facing unprecedented impacts from natural disasters,” Padilla said. “As we approach the Farm Bill expiration later this year, hundreds of thousands of farmers — including growers devastated by the 2023 Tropical Storm Hilary floods — are still counting on us to make things right. Our bipartisan, bicameral legislation would even the playing field for specialty crop growers hoping to access critical federal agriculture disaster programs.”

“North Carolina farmers are all too familiar with natural disasters and the barriers to access disaster relief programs,” Tillis said. “I am proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation to expand access to critical disaster relief programs for farmers across the state and give them the tools to rebuild when disaster strikes.”

“Barriers to assistance programs for our farmers and ranchers can hold back the recovery of rural economies after natural disasters,” said Panetta. “This bipartisan legislation would ensure that producers who depend on agriculture for their livelihoods can access the resources they need to not only get by during times crisis but also to rebuild stronger. This is a commonsense solution that will strengthen our agricultural safety net and the agriculture of our country.”

“IFPA commends Sens. Padilla and Tillis for their leadership in advancing the Fair Access to Agriculture Disaster Programs Act. This bipartisan legislation will eliminate unnecessary obstacles for specialty crop growers and expand their access to crucial disaster assistance programs. As economic uncertainty and unpredictable weather continue to challenge the agricultural community, strengthening resilience is more important than ever. This bill represents a significant step toward that goal,” said Cathy Burns, CEO, International Fresh Produce Association.

Catastrophic floods, fires, freezes, and other disasters are disrupting food production and devastating farms across the country, but outdated AGI eligibility requirements disproportionately exclude certain producers from meaningfully participating in USDA disaster programs. The USDA currently prohibits payments to growers with combined farm and nonfarm AGI in excess of $900,000 for most disaster, commodity, and conservation programs, excluding California growers — large and small — who produce higher value specialty crops on expensive land.

These AGI limitations fail to account for high input costs or inflation and leave specialty crop producers without access to critical safety net programs in the wake of disasters. The unique methods utilized in specialty crop production mean these producers generally have fewer effective risk management and relief options than growers of major field crops.

Specifically, the Fair Access to Agriculture Disaster Programs Act waives the AGI limitation for the following disaster programs: Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program, Livestock Forage Disaster Program, Livestock Indemnity Program, Tree Assistance Program, and Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program.