Maine’s congressional delegation has reached out to the Trump Administration seeking support for wild blueberry, potato, and apple farmers, as well as members of the state’s lumber and fishing industries.
In a letter sent to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, members of the delegation urged the Administration to continue providing targeted relief to these specialty crop producers to help them “withstand the economic impacts of on-the-ground, environmental realities.”
The lawmakers explain that the “absence of reliable, up-to-date cost-of-production and farm-gate pricing data for many specialty crops” has made it “essential” for the USDA to work directly with those in the industry to “establish payment rates that meaningfully address current losses.”
“Failure to do so risks leaving critical sectors of Maine’s agricultural economy without adequate relief during a period of extraordinary financial strain,” the lawmakers wrote.
The lawmakers’ appeal for aid highlighted how extreme weather conditions have led to reduced harvests for Maine’s blueberry and potato farmers. Global tariffs were said to have had a unique impact on the state’s potato industry, as “Maine growers operate in an integrated cross-border market with Canada.” Similarly, Maine’s apple orchards were also said to be under financial strain due to reduced harvests and rising costs.
The delegation also urged the USDA to consider providing relief to other sectors of Maine’s agricultural economy, noting that these industries have faced similar struggles as well.
“Beyond specialty crops, Maine’s forest products and commercial fishing industries are foundational to our rural and coastal economies and have experienced significant market disruption tied to trade volatility and retaliatory tariffs,” the delegation said.
“As USDA evaluates current and future relief efforts, we strongly urge the Department to ensure that Maine’s lumber and fisheries industries are not overlooked,” they continued. “Equity in federal relief requires that industries facing comparable trade-driven harm receive comparable support.”
“We appreciate USDA’s prior engagement with Maine’s potato, wild blueberry, and apple stakeholders,” said the lawmakers. “However, continued consultation is not simply beneficial, it is necessary to ensure that federal assistance reflects on-the-ground conditions.”
“We urge USDA to adjust payment methodologies where needed, account for crop-specific production cycles, and expand eligibility where appropriate so that relief is both fair and economically meaningful,” they said.
“Maine’s producers are resilient, but resilience alone cannot offset sustained market disruption and escalating costs,” the delegation concluded. “We stand ready to work with you to ensure that USDA programs deliver the targeted, data-driven support that Maine’s agricultural, forestry, and fishing sectors urgently need.”
Click Here to Read the Delegation’s Full Letter
This is not the first time that support from the federal government has been sought for Maine’s specialty crop producers.
Last fall, Sen. Susan Collins (R) reached out to Secretary Rollins asking that these same growers, as well as livestock producers, be given support from the federal government in light of compounding challenges, including extreme weather, high costs, and labor shortages.
She also drew attention to the drought conditions experienced throughout the state during the summer of 2025.
[RELATED: Susan Collins Urges USDA to Provide Drought Relief to Maine’s Fruit Growers and Livestock Producers]
Collins further explained how these conditions have affected Maine’s livestock producers, highlighting how they have struggled to purchase adequate supplies to keep their animals healthy through the winter.
At the time, she urged the USDA to include these producers in any federal relief efforts and to expedite the release of funds from the Livestock Forage Program (LFP) to aid farmers in purchasing feed and hay for the winter.
Collins did not specify in her letter to the Secretary of Agriculture where she anticipated the aid for blueberry and apple producers would be sourced, asking only that they be considered for any relief funding.
