USApple is a founding member of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, which successfully advocated for specialty crop programs in the 2008, 2014 and 2018 Farm Bills.

USApple strongly supports maintaining and expanding key Farm Bill programs including:

  • Research – The Specialty Crop Research Initiative, which is used to combat pests and disease and develop automation technology.
  • International Trade – The Market Access Program and the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops.
  • State Block Grants –Specialty Crop Block Grants, targeted to local needs can be used on a variety of priorities, including marketing, food safety and nutrition initiatives.
  • Clean Plant Network – Establishing a network of clean plant centers to ensure nurseries can continue to provide safe, virus-free plant materials for orchards.