Senator Luján Introduces the CHILE Act

August 1, 2026  

Senator Luján recently introduced the Cultivating Horticultural Innovation in Local Economies (CHILE) Act (S. 4860), legislation to strengthen federal support for specialty crop growers facing economic losses and market disruptions.

The CHILE Act builds upon language included in the House-passed Farm Bill that creates a Specialty Crop Emergency Assistance Framework. This legislation would ensure that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) uses this framework when providing direct assistance to specialty crop growers. Currently, specialty crop growers generally do not have a standardized, predictable disaster assistance framework comparable to the support available to other agricultural producers. The CHILE Act would help ensure a consistent process for providing emergency assistance to specialty crop growers during times of economic hardship and uncertainty.

“Specialty crop growers are critical to New Mexico’s agricultural economy and to feeding communities across the nation,” said Senator Luján. “When disasters, market disruptions, and other challenges threaten their livelihoods, growers deserve a reliable process for getting the emergency assistance they need. My CHILE Act strengthens support for specialty crop producers by ensuring USDA has and uses a reliable framework to provide timely assistance when specialty crop growers need it most.”

Specifically, the CHILE Act would:

• Require USDA to use the Specialty Crop Emergency Assistance Framework when providing direct assistance to specialty crop growers
• Clarify that specialty crops include fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, and nursery crops, including floriculture
• Provide $5 billion in direct assistance to specialty crop producers for fiscal year 2027