Use of Federal Risk Management Programs Varies Widely by Specialty Crop

Specialty crop producers in the United States grow a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and horticultural nursery crops. These crops face many of the same production issues as major field crops, such as susceptibility to weather damage. Plus, they have their own limitations such as concentration in geographic locations best suited for their cultivation, limitations on herbicide and pesticide options available—especially organic crop producers—and in many markets a low number of buyers and sellers, making it difficult for growers to gather price data.