,,iv  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,h4 ,,res4 #ahb  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of
 ,,representatives  ,april #be1 #bjac   
,ms4 ,del,bene 7for herself1 ,mr4       
,vargas1 ,mr4 ,de,fazio1 ,mr4 ,benishek1
 ,mr4 ,hastings of ,washington1 ,mr4    
,sean ,patrick ,maloney of ,new ,york1  
,ms4 ,kuster1 ,mr4 ,schrader1 ,mr4      
,mc,govern1 ,mr4 ,garamendi1 and ,mr4   
,reichert7 submitted the following      
resolution2 which was referred to the   
,committee on ,agriculture  ,,resolution
  ,expressing the sense of the ,house of
 ,representatives that specialty crops  
are a vital part of agriculture in the  
,united ,states1 that the ,committee on 
,agriculture should propose funding for 
programs that support specialty crops   
priorities1 and that legislation should 
be passed that includes funding         
reflecting specialty crops as a growing 
and important part of ,united ,states   
agriculture4  ,whereas specialty crops  
are defined as fruits and vegetables1   
tree nuts1 dried fruits1 horticulture1  

and nursery crops including             
floriculture2 ,whereas farmers in the   
,united ,states grow more than #cej     
types of fruit1 vegetable1 tree nut1    
flower1 nursery1 and other horticultural
 crops2 ,whereas the yearly value of    
specialty crop production totals more   
than #ej1jjj1jjj1jjj which accounts for 
about half of all domestic crop value2  
,whereas specialty crops represent more 
than #a_/c of the value of ,united      
,states crop production in a given year2
 ,whereas sales of fresh and processed  
fruits and vegetables total nearly      
#ajj1jjj1jjj1jjj annually2 ,whereas     
combined exports of specialty crops     
grown in the ,united ,states totaled    
nearly #ae1ijj1jjj1jjj as recently as   
#bjaj1 which accounts for about #ae     
percent of all agricultural exports from
 the ,united ,states2 ,whereas there are
 about #bdh1jjj farms that grow a       
variety of specialty crops1 and every   
single ,state has at least some         
specialty crop production2 ,whereas     

overall spending on specialty crops     
remains a small percentage of all       
funding for crops1 even taking into     
account mandatory and discretionary     
funding combined2 ,whereas specialty    
crops are not eligible for many of the  
traditional support programs that       
benefit producers of other crops2       
,whereas programs that support specialty
 crops are generally available to all   
crops1 while the opposite is true of    
specific commodity crops2 ,whereas      
fruits and vegetables like red          
raspberries1 almonds1 apples1 apricots1 
avocados1 bananas1 beans1 blueberries1  
citrus1 cherries1 cranberries1 figs1    
grapes1 macadamia nuts1 nectarines1     
onions1 papayas1 peaches1 pecans1       
peppers1 plums1 potatoes1 pumpkins1     
sweet corn1 certain tomatoes1 walnuts1  
asparagus1 beets1 strawberries1         
broccoli1 and carrots are just a few of 
the hundreds of specialty crops grown in
 the ,united ,states2 ,whereas specialty
 crops are a driving force in promoting 

a healthier country and are part of a   
healthy1 balanced diet that can help    
consumers reach recommended dietary     
goals1 which call for half of plates to 
be fruits and vegetables2 ,whereas the  
authorities in the ,food1 ,conservation1
 and ,energy ,act of #bjjh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4
 #hgja et seq47 that expired on         
,september #cj1 #bjab1 were extended    
under the ,american ,taxpayer ,relief   
,act of #bjab 7,public ,law #aab-bdj7   
until ,september #cj1 #bjac2 ,whereas   
many agriculture programs did not       
receive any additional mandatory funding
 under that extension2 ,whereas a vital 
program for specialty crops1 the        
specialty crop research initiative1     
established under section #dab of the   
,agricultural ,research1 ,extension1 and
 ,education ,reform ,act of #aiih 7#g   
,u4,s4,c4 #gfcb71 did not receive any   
additional mandatory funding under that 
extension2 ,whereas a vital program for 
specialty crops1 the national clean     
plant network1 established under section

 #ajbjb of the ,food1 ,conservation1 and
 ,energy ,act of #bjjh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4    
#ggfa71 did not receive any additional  
mandatory funding under that extension2 
,whereas it is paramount that the ,house
 of ,representatives passes a new       
#e-year farm bill to reauthorize        
agriculture programs without funding in 
fiscal year #bjac1 to provide funding   
for such programs in fiscal year #bjad  
and fiscal years thereafter1 and to     
provide certainty to farmers across the 
,united ,states2 ,whereas the number of 
farms producing and sales of fruits1    
berries1 and tree nuts in the ,united   
,states is steadily increasing2 ,whereas
 according to the most recent census    
data published by the ,census of        
,agriculture in #bjjg1 #aab1fij farms   
produced fruits1 tree nuts1 and berries 
with a total value of #ah1fjj1jjj1jjj1  
an increase of #d1ijj1jjj1jjj in #e     
years2 ,whereas the ,census shows an    
increase in the value of sales for      
vegetables1 potatoes and melons from    

#ab1hjj1jjj1jjj in #bjjb to             
#ad1gjj1jjj1jjj in #bjjg1 an increase of
 #ae percent2 ,whereas nursery1         
greenhouse1 floriculture1 and sod sales 
increased #ac percent from #bjjb and    
#bjjg1 from #ad1gjj1jjj1jjj to          
#af1fjj1jjj1jjj2 ,whereas it is evident 
that specialty crops are an increasingly
 important part of agriculture in the   
,united ,states2 and ,whereas specialty 
crops should get their fair share of    
consideration and funding in agriculture
 generally1 but especially in the farm  
bill3 ,now1 therefore1 be it  ,that it  
is the sense of the ,house of           
,representatives that--  7#a7 specialty 
crops are a vital part of agriculture in
 the ,united ,states2  7#b7 the         
,committee on ,agriculture should       
propose funding for programs that       
support specialty crops priorities2 and 
7#c7 legislation should be passed that  
includes funding reflecting specialty   
crops as a growing and important part of
 ,united ,states agriculture4