Farm bill talks and third party audits

This report on the farm bill legislative process notes the House and Senate Ag Committee staffers will meet weekly so they can avoid getting too far apart as lawmakers draft the 2007 version. I suppose that could be either good or bad for the produce industry. I think the Senate will produce a farm bill that is friendlier to specialty crops growers.

Whatever the fruit and vegetable industry gets, it appears the the industry is expected to lose its planting prohibition on farm program acreage. At least that's the sense I get from talking to a Farm Bureau lobbyist the other day. Would a couple of hundred million in the farm bill be worth the loss of the planting prohibition? It brings to mind the little used term "Pyrrhic" victory- a win with devastating cost to the victor.

Wikipedia:

The phrase is a reference to King Pyrrhus of Epirus, whose army suffered irreplaceable casualties when he defeated the Romans during the Pyrrhic War at Heraclea in 280 BC and Asculum in 279 BC.


Meanwhile, this story on Wegmans soon-coming requirement that growers will need an independent audit of all farmers' agricultural practices before buying their crops. Wegmans isn't bluffing when it lays out what it needs from growers, but it was pointed out in the story that there is a real shortage of third party inspectors in New Jersey and other states.

Leafy greens and green onions will need a "pedigree" first, according to a Wegmans official.

A core issue continues to be the need to avoid the costly burden of multiple third party audits. Retailers must resist the urge to create unnecessary costs in the system by demanding unique third party audits of growers.