Farm Bureau's nod to specialty crops

The American Farm Bureau Federation has just released their proposal for the 2007 farm bill. The pdf link can be found here in the Fresh Produce Discussion Group. The FB site is linked here.

The highlights from Farm Bureau news release:

Support for maintaining the baseline funding for the commodity title ($7 billion per year) and conservation title ($4.4 billion per year), rather than transferring funding from one title to another. These baselines already include sizable cuts from the 2002 farm bill funding level.

Support for eliminating the fruit and vegetable planting prohibition and for $250 million per year in conservation program funding for specialty crop growers.

Support for a revenue-based counter-cyclical safety net program to protect against both low prices and low yields and provide payments to farmers when they need them most.

Support for a standing catastrophic assistance program that is integrated with a re-rated crop insurance program. Crop insurance coverage would be reduced from the current coverage level because the new standing catastrophic assistance program would cover 50 percent of losses.

Support for retention of non-environmentally sensitive land in the Conservation Reserve Program and allowing the production of energy crops on that land. Those contract holders would be required to produce a cellulosic ethanol feedstock cover crop.

Opposition to any changes in farm bill payment limitations and income means-testing.


TK: This proposal accentuates the status quo. The $250 million for the specialty crop industry, directed through conservation program funding and coming at the expense of the planting provision on program crop acres, is underwhelming -- especially considering produce industry ambitions run much higher and include nutrition program and block grants. While baseline funding for program crops is close to $10 billion a year, specialty crops get $250 million; that's not too equitable.
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