U.S. Representative Chrissy Houlahan, of Easttown, is co-sponsoring a bipartisan bill in the House of Representatives with Dan Meuser, of Luzerne County, aimed at protecting mushroom farmers across the state and nationwide, writes Mike Rellahan for The Daily Local News.
The Protecting Mushroom Farmers Act was drafted in 2023, but was not considered during that congressional session.
The bill would mandate the U.S. Department of Agriculture to conduct a study on federally-backed crop insurance to mushroom farms, which face unique challenges such as severe weather and pests that specifically threaten mushroom crops.
Once the study is completed and shows the efficacy of a new crop insurance product, the USDA could start immediately offering it to farmers.
Chester County produces nearly 70 percent of all mushrooms grown in the United States. The industry contributes $1.1 billion to Pennsylvania’s economy and supports more than 9,000 jobs statewide.
“Every time I speak with mushroom farmers in Chester and Berks counties, they tell me about the unique threats they face,” said Houlahan. “It is time that the federal government step up to ensure our farms are protected and can be passed down to the next generation.”
Read more about the bill to protect mushroom farmers in The Daily Local News.
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