The House of Representatives has rejected calls to give the US apple industry emergency financial aid to the tune of $100 million without which almost a third of America's apple farms face closure.
A bipartisan group of US congress members has been putting pressure on the House and Senate to provide the country's apple industry with the ad-hoc direct assistance.
In February, the Senate passed an amendment to its farm bill, allocating $2.4 billion in emergency farm aid.
The amended bill included the $100 million in assistance to apple growers.
But the House of Representatives subsequently rejected the proposed revision.
50 representatives and 21 senators have signed a letter saying that without the cash injection, 30 per cent of US apple growers stand to lose their farms.
The House and Senate are currently in negotiations and it is hoped that a final agreement will be reached by April 9, following the two week congressional recess.
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