Protecting Our Produce Act

This bill, known as the Protecting Our Produce Act, would require the Secretary of Agriculture to create a pilot program that provides financial payments to producers of specific seasonal and perishable crops when their prices drop due to imports. The program would cover asparagus, bell peppers, blueberries, cucumbers, and squash that must be harvested and sold within four weeks, making payments only when current market prices fall below a five-year average reference price. To qualify for assistance, producers must have an average adjusted gross income under $5 million and derive at least 75 percent of their income from farming, ranching, or forestry. The pilot program would be authorized for five years with up to $200 million in funding available each fiscal year, and it would end automatically after that period.