Farm Bill Primer: Horticulture Title Provisions
Abstract
The "Horticulture" title of the 2014 farm bill (P.L. 113-79, Title X) covers a diverse set of agricultural producers, including specialty crops, certified organic agriculture, and local and regional foods. These sectors have long argued that their industries should occupy a larger role in farm bill policy discussions and that benefits supporting major commodity producers should be extended to these producers in order to create a broader, more equitable farm bill. Producers in these sectors are not eligible for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) commodity revenue support programs, but they are eligible for other types of USDA programs and support throughout several farm bill titles. These include, but are not limited to, programs in the nutrition, conservation, research, crop insurance, disaster assistance, rural development, and trade titles. Other federal agencies also play important roles in these sectors. Specialty crops - defined as "fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, and horticulture and nursery crops (including floriculture)" - comprise a major part of U.S. agriculture. USDA reports that retail sales of fresh and processed fruits and vegetables for at-home consumption total nearly $100 billion annually. In 2012, about 244,000 farming operations grew more than 350 types of fruit, vegetable, tree nut, flower, nursery, and other horticultural crops. Production is concentrated in California, Florida, Washington, Oregon, North Dakota, and Michigan. Agricultural products certified as "USDA organic" account for a small but growing share of the U.S. farming sector. At the retail level, U.S. organic sales totaled $43.3 billion in 2015, representing roughly 5 percent of all food sales in the United States. Leading organic commodities include milk, eggs, broiler chickens, lettuce, apples, meat products, grapes, corn for grain, hay, and spinach.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 29, 2017
- Accession Number
- AD1170092
Entities
People
- Renee Johnson
Organizations
- Library of Congress