1、 https:/crsreports.congress.gov November 1, 2017Federal Crop Insurance for Specialty CropsThe current and previous farm billsthe Agricultural Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-79) and the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-246)enhanced the federal crop insurance program by expanding its scope
2、and broadening policy coverage for specialty crops. Historically, the federal crop insurance program has covered primarily traditional field crops such as wheat, corn, and soybeans. In recent decades, the program has been expanded so that policies are now available for a wide range of commodities, i
3、ncluding specialty crops. Despite this expansion of the federal program, coverage for specialty crops remains below that for traditional crops. Specialty crops refers to “fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, and horticulture and nursery crops (including floriculture)” (7 U.S.C. 1621). Thi
4、s definition covers an estimated 400 agricultural commodities, including fresh and processed fruits and vegetables, tree nuts (which excludes peanuts), a range of nursery plants (trees, shrubs, flowering plants), herbs and spices, coffee and tea, and also honey and maple syrup, according to U.S. Dep