The US Congress has approved expenditure of $54 million to promote fruit and vegetables through research, technological improvements and other methods under the speciality crop competitiveness act. Grower groups welcomed the news as giving them a boost on the domestic market in the face of increasing competition globally.
The term specialty crops refers to fruits, vegetables, nuts and nursery products such as flowers and Christmas trees. Specialty crops account for about 50 percent of farm crops nationwide and contribute nearly $60 billion to the US economy.
The bulk of specialty crops are grown in California, where they account for $18.1 billion of the state's annual farm output.
The specialty crops act includes $44.5 million for grants to state departments of agriculture to promote fruits and vegetables through programmes such as new crop production tools and research and education.
The bill also sets aside $5 million for research into alternatives to methyl bromide and smaller pieces of funding will go for a pest and disease response fund within the US Treasury, a technical assistance for specialty crops program and an agriculture department inspection and training facility.
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