Protecting Our Produce Act
HB7762, the “Protecting Our Produce Act,” would amend the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 to create a new five-year pilot program administered by the Secretary of Agriculture. Beginning with marketing year 2025, the program would provide annual crop loss payments to producers of certain seasonal and perishable crops—specifically asparagus, bell peppers, blueberries, cucumbers, and squash—when the crop’s effective market price falls below a calculated reference price and the price decline is determined to have been caused by imports.
The bill defines how the payment trigger and payment amount would be calculated. The reference price is based on a five-year average of national market prices, excluding the highest and lowest years, and the payment rate equals the difference between the reference price and the effective price. Eligible producers must apply, have an average adjusted gross income below $5 million over the prior three tax years, and derive at least 75 percent of adjusted gross income from farming, ranching, or forestry. Payments would be based on recent production history, also excluding the highest and lowest years, and the program would sunset five years after enactment.
In practical terms, the bill would add a new federal support mechanism for specialty crop growers who face price pressure from imported produce. It would authorize up to $200 million per fiscal year for the pilot and would require USDA to determine the relevant geographic regions and seasonal marketing windows. The measure would affect the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act by adding a new Title V and by expanding USDA’s role in administering import-related price-loss assistance for selected produce sectors.
The available context shows no recorded committee debate or votes, so there is no documented floor or committee sentiment to assess. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears designed to support domestic produce growers and is likely to be viewed favorably by specialty crop producers and agricultural interests concerned about import competition. Potential opposition would likely come from those concerned about federal spending, market intervention, or the difficulty of attributing price declines specifically to imports.
The bill would amend the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 by adding a new federal pilot program for seasonal and perishable crop loss payments. It would create new statutory definitions, eligibility rules, payment formulas, and USDA administrative responsibilities, while authorizing $200 million annually for five years. The affected parties are producers of asparagus, bell peppers, blueberries, cucumbers, and squash, especially those with substantial farm-related income and lower adjusted gross income.
No committee transcript or vote data is available, so there is no recorded legislative sentiment in the provided materials. The bill’s purpose suggests support from specialty crop growers and agricultural advocates seeking relief from import-driven price declines, while critics would likely focus on cost, program design, and the challenge of proving that imports caused the price drop.
The main points of contention are likely to be whether federal payments should be used to offset import-related price pressure, whether the selected crops and income thresholds are appropriately targeted, and whether USDA can reliably determine when imports caused low prices. Another likely issue is the size and duration of the authorization, since the bill would commit up to $200 million per year for a five-year pilot. These concerns would most likely be raised by fiscal conservatives, trade-policy skeptics, and those wary of commodity-specific subsidies, while supporters would be specialty crop producers and farm-state advocates.