The Coalition for Specialty Crop Innovation celebrates the bipartisan introduction of the Supporting Innovation in Agriculture Act in the U.S. House of Representatives by Ways and Means Tax Subcommittee Chairman Mike Kelly, a Republican from Pennsylvania, and Ranking Member Mike Thompson, a Democrat from California. The Supporting Innovation in Agriculture Act would fill an important policy gap for the diverse domestic specialty crop industry by creating a new federal investment tax credit to accelerate the deployment of innovative farming technologies for specialty crop growers, according to the Association.
The bill has received endorsement from more than 50 leading organizations and trade associations, including the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, the International Fresh Produce Association, the Food Industry Association, and others.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, for the third year in a row, the U.S. has projected to run the largest agricultural trade deficit in modern history, driven in large part by increased consumer demand for specialty crops. In addition to rising food imports, the fresh food supply chain is being threatened by more extreme weather and drought conditions, worsening pest and disease pressure, rising input costs and inflationary pressures, and the repercussions of labor shortages.