Maloney Questions Vilsack on Assistance to Specialty Crop Farmers

WASHINGTON – In Representative Sean Patrick Maloney’s first hearing as a member of the House Agriculture Committee, he questioned Tom Vilsack, the Agriculture Secretary, on the shortfalls of the safety net for specialty crop farmers and the role of USDA in protecting farmers from flooding – especially in the aftermath of devastating storms like Hurricane Irene. 

“Two weeks ago, I spoke with dozens of farmers at a Town Hall Forum in Warwick, and they told me that specialty crop farmers need Congress to stick with them after catastrophic disasters. This is one of the top industries in the region, so Congress and the USDA must do a better job protecting our hardworking farmers in the Hudson Valley,” said Representative Sean Patrick Maloney.

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As a Member of the House Agriculture Committee, Representative Maloney serves on the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management and Subcommittee on Horticulture, Research, Biotechnology and Foreign Agriculture.  These subcommittees have jurisdiction over numerous crops including fruits and vegetables, crop insurance, commodity exchanges, and biotechnology.