WASHINGTON — Rep. Adam Gray, D‑Merced, praised the administration’s new supplemental funding request that includes $10 billion in assistance for specialty crop growers — a proposal he has pushed for as Central Valley producers face rising costs, trade instability and tightening competition.
Gray, a member of the House Agriculture Committee, said the investment would deliver long‑needed support for farmers who grow the fruits, vegetables and nuts that dominate the Valley’s agricultural economy.
“I’m encouraged to see the administration’s supplemental funding request include the $10 billion investment I have called for to support America’s specialty crop growers,” Gray said in a statement. “Over the past year, Central Valley growers have been hit hard by trade uncertainty, rising input costs, and a lack of fair competition in the marketplace. This long‑overdue investment will provide much‑needed support and greater certainty for the family farmers who feed our country.”
Gray previously secured a commitment from Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson, R‑Pa., to work on additional economic assistance for specialty crop producers. The funding request marks the administration’s first formal endorsement of the effort.
The push comes as Congress continues work on the 2026 Farm Bill, which passed the House earlier this year with bipartisan support and includes several provisions shaped by Gray. The bill expands research funding, strengthens export programs and updates risk‑management tools for growers facing volatile markets.
Gray played a central role in advancing the legislation and secured amendments to double funding for the Market Access Program, the Foreign Market Development Program and the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops program — all key tools for California commodities that rely heavily on overseas markets. More than 70% of the state’s almonds are exported.
He also backed the creation of a specialty crop advisory committee, expansion of federal procurement programs and improvements to the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. Another amendment he authored, which passed unanimously, prohibits the U.S. Department of Agriculture from imposing cost‑sharing or matching requirements on the block grant program — a move industry groups said protects growers from new financial burdens.
The Farm Bill also directs USDA to study potential impacts of changes to the U.S.–Mexico–Canada Agreement and allows states to use up to 20% of Emergency Food Assistance Program funds for the Department of Defense Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, which purchases produce from California suppliers.
Grower groups have said the combined efforts represent some of the most significant federal support for specialty crops in years, offering stability for an industry hit by storms, drought, disease pressure and global market swings.
Gray said he will continue working with lawmakers in both parties to ensure the supplemental funding request is approved.
“This is about keeping agriculture strong in the Central Valley,” he said.
