Frantz's testimony before the US House Ag committee regarding Specialty Crops
- Deborah Pagliaccia
- Sep 24
- 8 min read
Updated: Oct 29
Florida is a national powerhouse in specialty crops, with over 300 crop varieties grown statewide. According to the USDA’s 2022 Census of Agriculture, Florida specialty crops accounted for $1.4 billion in fruits, tree nuts, and berries; $1.9 billion in vegetables and melons; and $3.4 billion in nursery, greenhouse, and floriculture products. These sectors make up more than half of Florida’s farm income, underscoring how federal policies for specialty crops directly affect the state. In a September 16, 2025, House Agriculture Committee hearing, California grower Michael Frantz noted that the challenges he faces (high costs, complex regulations, and workforce needs) are the same ones confronting Florida farmers. He testified on these national issues, emphasizing that even “small changes in the regulations can block multi-year [citrus] crops from being sold, resulting in millions of dollars of losses … essentially overnight”. He also warned that inflation has created “an unsustainable situation” where rising input costs are eroding growers’ margins.
In summary, Frantz’s testimony covered several key topics beyond the citrus protocol. He highlighted burdensome Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) limits for capital-intensive nurseries, the urgent need to restore IR-4 funding for specialty crop pest-control research, and how post-pandemic inflation is driving down demand for discretionary crops. He also discussed tariff costs on essential imports and called for a strong new Farm Bill with specialty-crop priorities. All of these issues apply to Florida’s growers as well – from its $3.4 B ornamental nursery sector to its $1.9 B vegetables and $1.4 B fruit/nut industries.
Key points Frantz raised include:
AGI Limits: Frantz explained that modern greenhouse and irrigation investments push nurseries’ gross income above USDA AGI eligibility thresholds. He urged Congress to adopt a standard (e.g., ≥75% of revenue from farming) that better reflects profitability in high-cost states. (Florida growers likewise see farm income go to costly greenhouses and fertilizer.)
Crop Protection (IR-4): He warned that every year, U.S. specialty crops lose pesticide and fungicide tools, since new alternatives lag. The IR-4 Program, which helps register safe chemicals for specialty crops, received no funding in the last budget. Frantz asked Congress to restore and prioritize IR-4 funding in the Farm Bill to ensure growers have the tools they need.
Inflation Pressures: Frantz described specialty crops as “at the tip of the economic spear” because they are largely discretionary purchases. Since COVID, his nursery has seen sales drop as he passes higher costs onto customers. He said, “our costs increase, and our units sold… decline,” creating “immense pressure” on producers. Florida’s high-value fruit, vegetable, and ornamental growers report the same narrowing of margins under inflation.
Tariff Burdens: He emphasized that many critical nursery inputs (peat moss, coconut coir, burlap, etc.) must be imported. He thanked the committee for a recent tariff exclusion on peat moss, “saving our industry millions of dollars”, but cautioned that tariffs on other inputs continue “squeezing profitability”. Florida nurseries use the same imported materials, so tariff relief for these inputs is equally vital to keep costs down.
Farm Bill & Federal Priorities: Frantz noted the upcoming five-year Farm Bill (expiring Oct. 2025) must address specialty-crop needs. Allied groups (AmericanHort and the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance) have urged Congress to adopt specialty-crop competitiveness standards across programs, expand flexible crop insurance options (including for nursery and greenhouse growers), and create a Specialty Crop Advisory Committee to guide improvements. They also recommend making ad hoc relief (such as the Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops program, MASC) permanent for quick disaster aid. In short, Frantz stressed that Florida’s fruit, vegetable, and nursery sectors would benefit from national reforms ensuring affordable insurance, research funding, disaster recovery programs, and open export markets.
You can fast forward to near the end to listen to Frantz's Testimony at the 3:21 timestamp.
USDA Citrus Regulations and Sales Risk
Frantz briefly noted a unique risk for citrus growers: many citrus trees are grown in USDA-certified pest-exclusion greenhouses under the Citrus Nursery Stock Protocol (CNSP). He explained that even minor rule changes can abruptly halt sales of long-term citrus crops. In his words, “Oranges, grapefruit, mandarins, lemons, and limes … all are grown in USDA-regulated structures … but even small changes in the regulations can block multi-year crops from being sold, resulting in millions of dollars of losses essentially overnight”. In other words, existing APHIS rules (the CNSP) allow no partial certification; a single breach forces a nursery to halt interstate shipments immediately.
For context, the CNSP requires onerous recertification if any pest or procedural lapse occurs. Industry reports note that in the event of any breach, nurseries must destroy all existing citrus stock, sanitize their greenhouses, and re-grow plants from approved certified stock before restarting sales. According to Frantz and other witnesses, failing to recertify can be “more devastating … than a hurricane,” since growers must destroy inventory and lose revenue overnight. Florida’s citrus and nursery growers are well aware of these rules. It’s important to stress that Frantz did not use the hearing to outline detailed CNSP reforms; rather, he pointed to this protocol as an example of how unpredictable regulatory shifts can suddenly wipe out years of investment. (Industry associations like NCNA are separately advocating science-based updates to the CNSP – “reform, not repeal” – so nurseries can recover after breaches.)
Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) Limits
Frantz devoted significant attention to tax and subsidy rules that inadvertently penalize specialty growers. He explained that AGI limits (which cap program benefits if non-farm income is too high) unfairly burden capital-intensive farms. For example, running high-tech greenhouses and irrigation drives growers’ gross receipts up, often pushing them past eligibility thresholds. Frantz recommended that Congress allow a higher percentage of income to come from farming (e.g., 75%) when determining AGI limits. This change would help nurseries and other specialty operations – including Florida’s – that have large up-front investments but thin profit margins.
Crop Protection Research (IR-4)
Another key issue Frantz highlighted is pesticide and fungicide availability for specialty crops. He warned that “each year, we lose vital crop protection tools, while new alternatives take far too long to reach the market.” The IR-4 program in the USDA enables specialty growers to use safe chemicals not normally registered for major commodity crops. Frantz noted that IR-4 funding was zeroed out in the last budget. He strongly urged the committee to restore and prioritize IR-4 in the upcoming Farm Bill so that growers – in California, Florida, and nationwide – can continue protecting their crops against pests. Without this funding, Florida’s fruit and vegetable growers (as well as nursery producers) may be left without effective, approved ways to control diseases.
Inflation Squeeze on Specialty Crops
Frantz spent several minutes discussing inflation and pricing. He explained that ornamental plants and other specialty crops are largely discretionary for consumers. As prices spiked during the COVID-era, he saw demand for his nursery’s products fall: “Our unit counts decline as we have attempted to pass along the increased costs to our customers.” In fact, he described the situation as “unsustainable” – input costs such as labor, fuel, fertilizer, and equipment have risen faster than growers can raise prices. This gap between rising costs and stagnant prices is “placing immense pressure on producers”. Frantz cautioned that if this trend continues, many specialty crop farms could fail. Florida’s growers feel the same pinch: whether it’s citrus groves or ornamental nurseries, higher production costs and lower consumer spending are hurting profitability statewide.
Tariffs on Essential Inputs
Frantz also discussed international trade issues affecting horticulture. He noted that U.S. nurseries depend on imported growing media and materials (such as peat moss, coconut coir, burlap, etc.) that can’t be produced domestically. He thanked the Committee for securing a tariff exemption on peat moss – an action that “has saved our industry millions of dollars”. But he warned that many other inputs remain tariffed, “further squeezing profitability”. If these tariffs persist, American growers (including Florida’s multi-billion-dollar nursery and sod sector) will face higher costs that could be undercut by cheaper foreign producers. Frantz’s message was clear: continued tariff relief and a fair trade policy for horticultural supplies are needed to keep U.S. specialty growers competitive.
Farm Bill and Specialty Crop Agenda
Throughout his testimony, Frantz tied these issues to the need for a robust new Farm Bill. He noted that Congress is set to write a five-year Farm Bill by October 2025. Industry coalitions (like AmericanHort and the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance) have outlined specific priorities. For example, they urge Congress to adopt a uniform definition of “specialty crop” across federal programs and to expand crop insurance options for the horticulture sector. This could include creating a Specialty Crop Advisory Committee to guide improvements, and enhancing risk protection (e.g., prevented-planting or whole-farm revenue insurance) tailored to high-value crops. They also call for making emergency aid predictable – establishing a permanent program (modeled on this year’s MASC payments) to deliver direct assistance to specialty growers. Additional priorities include funding research (such as SCRI for automation and labor-saving technologies, and stable IR-4 funding), trade promotion (TASC program), and disaster assistance (Tree Assistance Program updates). In effect, Frantz’s testimony and accompanying materials advocate that Congress tackle all specialty-crop needs at once. Taken together, these reforms would help Florida’s $1.4 B fruit/nut, $1.9 B vegetable, and $3.4 B nursery industries by providing more stable risk management, research, and marketing support.
Advocacy That Works: The Role of AmericanHort
Frantz made clear that he was speaking on behalf of a broad industry network, not just his own farm. He credited his roles with AmericanHort (the national horticulture group) and NCNA for giving specialty growers a voice at the hearing. As NCNA noted, “Michael’s voice was heard in Washington… because of his connection to AmericanHort”. In other words, his appearance was arranged through industry advocacy: AmericanHort, NCNA, and allied organizations helped ensure that Florida’s and California’s specialty crop issues — from workforce to regulations — were on the Committee’s agenda. The key lesson Frantz highlighted is that well-connected advocacy (and collective, strategic partnerships) are necessary to turn these challenges into policy wins.
If Congress and USDA act on the concerns Frantz raised, Florida’s and other states' growers stand to benefit. With more flexible AGI rules, restored crop-protection research, relief from input costs, and a specialty-crop–focused Farm Bill, Florida’s agriculture could see stronger growth. As one NCNA blog concluded, “If we want to keep Florida producing its iconic specialty crops, now is the time to act—together”. The issues in Frantz’s testimony confirm that Florida’s $1.4 B fruit/nut, $1.9 B vegetable, and $3.4 B nursery industries face the same national policy questions as growers everywhere. Stakeholders are already mobilizing, and ongoing advocacy will be essential to turn this testimony into real change for Florida and the nation.
Sources:
Michael Frantz, “Testimony of Michael Frantz, Frantz Wholesale Nursery,” House Ag Committee hearing, Sept. 16, 2025;
NCNA and AmericanHort policy briefs on specialty crops;
USDA 2022 Ag Census figures.
The NCNA strives to foster a robust network of growers, researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders. Our leadership team is currently considering a formal partnership with AmericanHort to lobby for our interests and represent our association in D.C.
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If we want to keep nursery growers nationwide producing their iconic specialty crops, now is the time to act—together.
To learn about the six key fixes proposed by the NCNA and our implementation strategy, read the blog: Growing Solutions: Citrus Nursery Industry & USDA APHIS Shape a New Nursery Stock Protocol
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