The Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Alliance has applauded the bipartisan introduction of H.R. 9263, the Supporting Innovation in Agriculture Act, in the U.S. House of Representatives by Ways & Means Tax Subcommittee Chairman Mike Kelly (R-PA-16) and Ranking Member Mike Thompson (D-CA-04) along with Representatives Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19), David Valadao (R-CA-22), Dwight Evans (D-PA-03), Max Miller (R-OH-07), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI-07) and Brad Wenstrup (R-OH-02).
The Supporting Innovation in Agriculture Act aims to create a new federal investment tax credit (ITC) to support the deployment of CEA technologies and precision agriculture technologies for specialty crop growers.
Tom Stenzel, Executive Director of the CEA Alliance said: "The Supporting Innovation in Agriculture Act fills an important policy gap for the diverse domestic specialty crop industry and will ensure that producers can leverage innovative technologies to grow more with less."
The bill has garnered support from over 50 prominent farm groups and trade associations across the country, including the International Fresh Produce Association, National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, the CEA Alliance, and the Food Industry Association (FMI), among others.
In addition, 27 heads of state departments of agriculture joined a letter in support of the legislation representing Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington State, West Virginia and Wyoming.
More information about the bill can be found here.
For more information:
CEA Alliance
www.ceaalliance.com