In 2012, about 244,000 farming operations grew more than 350 types of fruit, vegetable, tree nut, flower, nursery, and other horticultural crops in addition to the major bulk commodity crops. Selected Federal Programs

Specialty crops are ineligible for the federal commodity price and income support programs that benefit producers of commodity crops; however, they are eligible for other types of USDA support. These include marketing and promotion programs, crop insurance and disaster assistance, plant pest and disease protections, trade assistance, and research and extension services, among other types of miscellaneous support. The industry also benefits from fruit and vegetable purchases under various food and nutrition programs. Some of the programs supporting specialty crops are long-standing farm support programs that benefit all agricultural producers and are regularly contained within omnibus farm legislation. However, several programs addressing specialty crops specifically were established following the enactment of the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 ( P.L. 108-465 ), which was enacted outside a farm bill year. Many of the programs in the 2004 act were further expanded and reauthorized in the 2008 farm bill (Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, P.L. Some programs had been established in the 2002 farm bill (Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, P.L. 107-171 ), often as pilot initiatives that have since become established programs. Other laws, such as the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act of 1930 (PACA) and the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, were enacted long ago to exclusively serve the produce industry to protect sellers in the marketplace. The 2014 farm bill (Agricultural Act of 2014, P.L. The 2014 farm bill also provided for additional program funding in some cases. Many of these programs broadly apply to a range of agricultural commodities, including fruits, vegetables, and other specialty crops. The 2014 farm bill reauthorized many of the existing farm bill provisions and also increased spending for some programs supporting specialty crops. 113-79) . Aside from USDA, other federal agencies play a role in the specialty crop industry. These include agencies that oversee food safety requirements for fruits, vegetables, and other specialty crops, such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and agencies that oversee global trade, such as the Department of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission, among others. The primary federal agency responsible for produce food safety is the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Under FSMA, FDA is developing mandatory food safety regulations and traceability requirements affecting farmers, packers, and processors of both domestically produced and imported products. At the farm production level, requirements under FSMA Section 105 will mostly affect produce growers. U.S. specialty crop producers on occasion have petitioned the Department of Commerce and the USITC to investigate suspected occurrences of dumping. It allows employers to petition for the temporary admission of foreign workers to the United States to perform agricultural labor or services of a seasonal or temporary nature, provided that U.S. workers are not available. The program is administered by the Department of Labor (DOL), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Department of State.
U.S. farmers grow more than 350 types of fruit, vegetable, tree nut, flower, nursery, and other horticultural crops in addition to the major bulk commodity crops. Specialty crop producers are ineligible for the federal commodity price and income support programs that benefit commodity crop producers (e.g., grains and cotton); however, they are eligible for other types of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) support. Unlike federal support for commodity crops, support for specialty crops spans a wide range of existing USDA programs, many of which also provide support to other agricultural commodities. These include marketing and promotion programs, crop insurance and disaster assistance, plant pest and disease protections, trade assistance, and research and extension services, among other types of miscellaneous support. The industry also benefits from fruit and vegetable purchases under various domestic nutrition assistance programs. Despite this wide range of program support, overall program spending on all specialty crops remains a small fraction of that spent on all commodity crops, even when considering both mandatory and discretionary funding.
Some of the programs supporting specialty crops are long-standing farm support programs that benefit all agricultural producers and are regularly contained within omnibus farm legislation. However, several programs addressing specialty crops specifically were established following the enactment of the Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2004 (P.L. 108-465), which was enacted outside a farm bill year. Many of the programs in the 2004 act were further expanded and reauthorized in the 2008 farm bill (Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, P.L. 110-246). The 2014 farm bill (Agricultural Act of 2014, P.L. 113-79) reauthorized and expanded many of these provisions, and also provided for additional program funding in some cases. Other programs were established in the 2002 farm bill (Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, P.L. 107-171), often as pilot initiatives that have since become established programs. Other laws, such as the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act of 1930 (PACA) and the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937, were enacted long ago to exclusively serve the produce industry to protect sellers in the marketplace.
Other federal agencies also play important roles in the specialty crop industry. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA, in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) is responsible for assuring that fresh, frozen, canned, and imported fruits, vegetables, and nuts are safe for human consumption. Recently enacted food safety reforms (FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, FSMA) placed additional regulatory requirements on certain specialty crop growers and processors to comply with safety requirements for foods that are regulated by FDA, which includes specialty crops. Under FSMA, FDA is developing mandatory food safety regulations and traceability requirements affecting farmers, packers, and processors of both domestically produced and imported foods under FDA's jurisdiction. At the farm production level, these requirements will mostly affect produce growers.
Among other agencies, the Environmental Protection Agency sets the safe limits for pesticide residues on produce, which FDA enforces. The Department of Commerce and the International Trade Commission are responsible for investigating instances of suspected "dumping" of foreign goods on the U.S. market and levying antidumping taxes. The Department of Labor, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of State jointly administer a system for temporarily admitting foreign workers to provide seasonal labor, provided that U.S. workers are not available.