H.R. 1613: Protecting Mushroom Farmers Act

This bill, titled the Protecting Mushroom Farmers Act, aims to modify the Federal Crop Insurance Act by introducing measures specifically for the mushroom farming sector. Below are the main components of the bill:

Research and Development

The bill mandates the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Risk Management Agency to conduct research and development to create an insurance policy that will cover:

• The production of mushroom growing media
• The production of mushrooms themselves

Policy Availability

The USDA is required to ensure that the new policy is made available to eligible farmers, provided they meet certain requirements outlined in existing regulations.

Areas of Focus for Research

The research and development envisioned in this bill will evaluate policies that take into account various risks, including but not limited to:

• Pest infestations, specifically mushroom phorid flies and sciarid flies
• Fungal and viral pathogens that can affect mushroom crops
• Other environmental factors such as:
• Electrical outages caused by weather events
• Damage to growing media due to significant rainfall incidents
• Best practices to minimize risks
• The feasibility of providing coverage for all phases of mushroom production or implementing a singular policy
• Simplified reporting and paperwork to accommodate the unique growing schedules of mushrooms
• Revenue loss protection

Reporting Requirements

Within two years following the enactment of this legislation, the USDA is required to submit a report to both the House and Senate Agriculture Committees. This report will detail:

• The outcomes of the research and development undertaken
• Recommendations based on those outcomes

Overall Goal

The goal of the Protecting Mushroom Farmers Act is to provide mushroom farmers with better risk management tools through insurance policies, thereby supporting the sustainability and economic stability of mushroom production in the United States.

Relevant Companies

None found