Specialty crop growers in the U.S. are calling for stronger support measures in the 2026 Farm Bill, particularly around risk management, market access, and crop insurance. Growers say the current system provides fewer protections for fruit and vegetable producers compared to commodity crop growers.

California grower Cesar Mora, who produces peaches, plums, and nectarines on 28 hectares in Reedley, said specialty crop growers face increasing pressure from market consolidation and rising production costs.

"The people who grow fresh food really are the least protected producers in America," Mora said.

Mora comes from a farming family that has worked in agriculture since his grandfather arrived in the U.S. through the Bracero program in the 1950s. After years of working with his family, Mora established his own farm in 2016.

Like many specialty crop growers, Mora operates within a supply chain dominated by processors, packing houses, and marketers. According to Mora, growers often have limited transparency regarding final product pricing and destinations.

"We are really at their mercy," Mora said. "I absolutely wish the market were more accessible to me. I wish I could directly engage with buyers."

Industry consolidation has increased over recent decades. According to the report, the top four grocery retailers controlled 23 per cent of the market in 1993, rising to 69 per cent by 2019. Mora said attempts to market fruit independently proved difficult.

"They will find a way to eliminate your business, and they've done that to me," he said.

Production costs continue to rise across land, labour, fuel, and inputs, while many specialty crop growers report limited access to financing and federal support programs. Mora currently leases his production area and said purchasing land remains difficult under current economic conditions.

"It's interesting, because the recommendation is for us to eat more fruits and vegetables, but yet, the subsidies are all into corn and soybeans," Mora said.

Risk management tools are also a concern for specialty crop producers. Growers argue that crop insurance programs are often better suited to commodity crops with standardised pricing structures, while fresh produce markets remain more variable.

Policy discussions around the 2026 Farm Bill include proposals to reform crop insurance access, address weather-related losses, and increase support for specialty and diversified crop production.

"If Congress wants small growers like myself to thrive and survive, they have to give us the tools," Mora said. "Without that, there's going to be the continued decline of farmers and small farmers in the U.S."

Mora said he plans to continue farming despite the challenges. "I refuse to give up on my life experience and my skills," he said. "It's what I think makes farmers resilient. We deal with the weather, we deal with other elements that are out of our control, but we still keep growing."

Source - https://www.freshplaza.com