Last week, Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr., (GA-02) and U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff (GA) introduced the Protecting Our Produce Act in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. The companion bills establish a pilot program to provide payments to certain U.S. seasonal and perishable fruit and vegetable producers for relief from unfairly priced seasonal imports. 

“Georgia’s farmers thrive when there is fair competition and Congress can do its part to protect them from unfairly priced imports,” said Congressman Bishop. “Not only is this bill important for the financial stability and security of our nation’s farmers, but also to help protect our supply chain and ensure Americans can get affordable, healthy food closer to home.”

 “Georgia family farms are getting buried by unfair crop imports from South and Central America. That’s why we are introducing this bill — to ensure Georgia’s family farms and rural communities can thrive,” said Senator Ossoff. 

“Georgia growers find themselves at a disadvantage because of the increase in imported fruits and vegetables. This program will enhance the competitiveness of Georgia’s growers and help insure we can continue to produce the highest quality fruits and vegetables here at home. We appreciate the work of Senator Ossoff and Congressman Bishop on addressing this critical issue,” said Sam Watson,President of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers.

“Georgia’s fruit and vegetable farmers continue to face an unlevel playing field from rising levels of imported produce. This has resulted in our nation’s first agricultural trade deficit and will ultimately increase our reliance on other countries for fresh, healthy produce. This program can be a game changer for our growers helping level the playing field and ensuring a sustainable future for farmers while providing greater access to healthy foods for all,” said Chris Butts, Executive Vice President of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers.

“U.S. growers of seasonal and perishable fruits and vegetables in Michigan and across the country need a safety net to weather the effects of below cost of production returns caused by imports.  Michigan asparagus growers face escalating costs at the same time imports are holding down the price retailers are willing to pay for fresh asparagus. A safety net like the one proposed in this bill will ensure American consumers continue to have access to perishable, locally grown fruits and vegetables,” said Bill Schwass, Springdale Farms, 5th generation grower from Scottville, Michigan.

Payments through this pilot program would be issued when the Secretary of Agriculture determines a grower’s revenue loss is due to seasonal import volumes. The 5-year pilot program is intended for Blueberry, Squash, Bell Pepper, Cucumber, and/or Asparagus producers, which the U.S. International Trade Commission has found suffer from “above-average” import growth.

You can read the House version of the bill, H.R. 9240, by visiting the Congressman’s website.