This bill adds a new pilot program to the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act. The pilot would pay producers of certain seasonal and perishable crops when national market prices during the crop's seasonal marketing window fall below a 5‑year reference price and the Secretary of Agriculture determines the low price was caused by imports. The bill defines "effective price" as the national average market price during the seasonal marketing window and "reference price" as the average of the national averages over the most recent five marketing years, excluding the single highest and single lowest years. Covered crops listed in the bill are asparagus, bell pepper, blueberry, cucumber, and squash marketed raw and normally sold within four weeks of harvest. Payments would start with marketing year 2025. The payment rate equals the difference between the reference price and the effective price. A producer's payment equals that rate times the producer's average production over the most recent five marketing years, excluding the highest and lowest production years. Producers must apply and meet eligibility rules: an average adjusted gross income under $5,000,000 for the prior three tax years and at least 75% of income from farming, ranching, or forestry. The Secretary will set seasonal marketing windows, geographic regions, and other application details. The pilot ends five years after enactment.
The bill authorizes $200,000,000 to carry out the pilot for each fiscal year that begins after enactment and before the pilot ends. The pilot terminates 5 years after enactment. No publicly available information on total expected outlays beyond the yearly authorization or on administrative costs.
No publicly available information.
No publicly available information.