European banana policy (yawn)

The USDA FAS released this paper on changes to EU banana policy. Knock yourself out with excitement.

Here is a link to a March 20 Business Week story on Chiquita.

Chile's stone fruit shortfall

Here is an annual report from the USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service about Chilean stone fruit. While these reports indicate that Chile's stone fruit output is stable to down, USDA stats show season to date imports of plums are off 7%, while peach imports are up 7%. Chilean nectarine shipments to the U.S. through March 17 were up 32% this year.

Here are some excerpts:

On plums:

Plantings and output of plums are not expected to increase in the coming years. Declining economic returns during the last few years have resulted in uprooting of old low producing orchards. Over 36 plum varieties are planted in Chile. The Friar, Angelo, Larry Ann, Black Ambar and Laroda are the most popular varieties that cover over 50 percent of the total planted area. As a result of the introduction of new varieties, the harvest and export season have now expanded to include a period of more than six months, compared to only a two-month season in the past. An estimated 57 percent of the total planted area to plums and prunes are the fresh consumption varieties. The remainder is accounted for by varieties suitable only for dried prune production.
Although plums are more resistant to adverse weather than other stone fruits, total output was affected again by adverse climatic conditions that reduced almost all stone fruit production, except cherries. For the 2006 production season, output fell more than initially expected. Mild temperatures again during the winter months (May-Aug. 2006) and limited cold hours which affected budding and rain during late spring and early summer in some important production areas affected total plum production for a third year in a row. Exports also are expected to fall accordingly.

On peaches and nectarines:

Total planted area to peaches and nectarines has remained stable during the last few years. New plantings are replacing older orchards and/or replacing old, less acceptable varieties with newly developed ones.
There are over 36 varieties of peaches for fresh consumption and another 36 varieties of nectarines grown and exported from Chile. Peach and nectarine varieties often become obsolete because of changing consumer tastes, even sometimes before trees begin bearing fruit. This, together with high fluctuations in prices during the last few seasons and diminishing returns, likely will prevent any increase in total planted area or production in the long term. However, some expansion of output could be expected in the next few years as orchards reach mature stages of production and as new plantings, which replace aging ones, are undertaken with higher yielding varieties.
However, in general output variations are mainly the result of changing weather conditions. Some varieties also are affected by yearly alternate bearing effect.
For this season (2007), production is estimated to fall again slightly. Mild temperatures during last winter (May-Aug. 2005) and limited cold hours affected budding adversely and rain in the most important production areas in spring and early summer affect production mainly of peaches. Exports also are expected to fall accordingly.


On cherries:

As a result of the introduction of new varieties and the use of better and improved management technologies, cherry production area has expanded significantly both, in the north and the south. Producers, by introducing more weather resistant varieties and planting these further south have expended the production period. Since more than a third of the total planted area is currently in the forming and incremental stage of production, significant increases in output can be expected in the coming years. Industry sources predict production, and consequently, exports will double in volume in the next five years. The main varieties planted continue to be Bing and Early Burlat. Among the main new-planted varieties are Lapins, Van, Stella and Summit. A total of over 70 varieties are planted in Chile.
The mild temperatures last winter and limited cold hours as well rain during spring that adversely affected other stone fruit production, affected cherries only to some degree. However, as significant areas of newly planted orchards are coming into production, an increase in total output is expected for 2007. Exports also are expected to grow accordingly.

The canker divide

The publication of today's rule in the Federal Register that sets the limited parameters for the movement of citrus nursery plants from Florida precedes what will be another rule on commercial citrus shipments from Florida. That rule could be issued in several weeks and be open for public comment.

Richard Kinney of Florida Citrus Packers says that the USDA's pest risk assessment states that fruit with no symptoms of canker poses a negligible risk of spreading the disease. Based on that PRA (which assumes mitigating measures in the packing house) Florida sources believe they should be able to ship to all states this fall, including citrus states. Florida is currently prohibited from shipping to any citrus producing state now.

"We expect to be shipping to those (citrus states) too," he said.

"The science indicates that symptomless fruit is not a vector for the disease," Kinney said.
He said 95% of Florida's fresh citrus is sold east of the Mississippi in any case.

Current rules states Florida can only ship from groves certified to be free of canker, no matter the destination, and even if the fruit is bound for the northern tier of states. Shipping from groves certified canker free is getting more difficult as canker continues to spread.
"There is no harbor for the disease in Minnesota or New York; we're going through all this to ship fruit to Minnesota?" Kinney asks.
Kinney expects opposition from Western citrus leaders and erstwhile friends such as Joel Nelsen and Mike Wootton to any USDA rule that reflects the idea that symptomless fruit poses a negligible risk.

Wootton of Sunkist said that there is no clear verdict on whether symptomless fruit poses a risk to spread canker.

With some scientists saying yes and others no, Wootton said "it doesn't seem prudent" to go ahead and change the rule until the science is resolved, he said

TK; The USDA must somehow resolve this thorny and important issue of Florida citrus market access to U.S. consumers. The near term fortunes of the Florida citrus industry - and the long term U.S. market opportunities of other citrus regions with canker - lean heavily on the USDA decision. At the same time, California interests may rightly feel that any "rush to judgement" to change long standing policy puts them at great risk.

Pork and spinach casserole

The House is expected to debate the Iraq war spending bill today, which includes freeze-related disaster assistance and also funds for California spinach growers. Some have called Rep. Sam Farr's effort to deliver aid to spinach growers a classic example of "pork" in DC. Here is the link to coverage of that story from The Monterey Herald.
An excerpt:

Rep. Sam Farr's effort to get $25 million in federal funds to help fresh spinach growers hurt by last year's E. coli recall of bagged spinach has drawn snorts of derision from a group against government waste.`Adding the money to an emergency appropriations bill earned Farr, D-Carmel, the dubious prize of "Porker of the Month" from Citizens Against Government Waste, a Washington, D.C., group that has tracked federal spending since 1984.
But pork, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder, Farr press secretary Jessica Schafer said Wednesday.
And it's not pork, she said, to try to help spinach growers "with compensation for millions of dollars of losses to make it through to their next crop."
The spinach-relief money is like many funding proposals that are fattening the appropriations bill. Currently before the house, the emergency bill -- known as the U.S. Readiness, Veterans' Health and Iraq Accountability Act of 2007 -- is the primary vehicle to continue U.S. dollars for the Iraq war.


TK: If what Farr is doing is "pork," it is much less objectionable than "the bridge to nowhere" and other boondoggles perpetrated on the America people. Remember in 2005, lawmakers sought build a bridge in Alaska that would connect the town of Ketchikan (population 8,900) with its airport on the Island of Gravina (population 50) at a cost to federal taxpayers of $320 million, by way of three separate earmarks in a highway bill. Yikes! Rep. Farr is a miser in comparison.

Looking ahead, Robert Guenther of United said the Senate version of the EAT Healthy America bill should be introduced next week.

Citrus quarantine for nursery products

The Federal Register brings us this interim rule this morning --- " Citrus Canker; Interstate Movement of Regulated Nursery Stock From Quarantined Areas"
Here is the summary:

We are amending the citrus canker quarantine regulations to explicitly prohibit, with limited exceptions, the interstate movement of regulated nursery stock from a quarantined area. The interstate movement of regulated nursery stock from an area quarantined for citrus canker poses a high risk of spreading citrus canker outside the quarantined area. We are including two exceptions to the prohibition. We are allowing calamondin and kumquat plants, two types of citrus plants that are highly resistant to citrus canker, to move interstate from a quarantined area under a protocol designed to ensure that they are free of citrus canker prior to movement. We will also continue to allow the interstate movement of regulated nursery stock for immediate export, under certain conditions. This action is necessary to clarify our regulations and to address the risk associated with the interstate movement of regulated nursery stock from areas quarantined for citrus canker.


TK: Meanwhile, we wait on what the USDA will say about commercial shipments of Florida citrus from canker infected areas this fall.....

H.R. 1600 Eat Healthy America!

The industry has more than a few friends in the House of Representatives. The Eat Healthy America Act was introduced March 20 by Rep. Dennis Cardoza and 64 co-sponsors, "to continue and expand upon previous congressional efforts to ensure an abundant and affordable supply of fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and other specialty crops for American consumers and international markets, to enhance the competitiveness of United States-grown specialty crops, and for other purposes.."
From govtrack.us
Sponsor:
Rep. Dennis Cardoza [D-CA]
Cosponsors
Rep. Thomas Allen [D-ME]
Rep. Michael Arcuri [D-NY]
Rep. John Barrow [D-GA]
Rep. Roscoe Bartlett [R-MD]
Rep. Earl Blumenauer [D-OR]
Rep. Mary Bono [R-CA]
Rep. Allen Boyd [D-FL]
Rep. Henry Brown [R-SC]
Rep. Ken Calvert [R-CA]
Rep. Lois Capps [D-CA]
Rep. Russ Carnahan [D-MO]
Rep. Jim Costa [D-CA]
Rep. Joe Courtney [D-CT]
Rep. Henry Cuellar [D-TX]
Rep. Elijah Cummings [D-MD]
Rep. William Delahunt [D-MA]
Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart [R-FL]
Rep. Thelma Drake [R-VA]
Rep. Sam Farr [D-CA]
Rep. Bob Filner [D-CA]
Rep. Wayne Gilchrest [R-MD]
Rep. John Hall [D-NY]
Rep. Doc Hastings [R-WA]
Rep. Brian Higgins [D-NY]
Rep. Maurice Hinchey [D-NY]
Rep. Mazie Hirono [D-HI]
Rep. Peter Hoekstra [R-MI]
Rep. Darlene Hooley [D-OR]
Rep. Darrell Issa [R-CA]
Rep. Marcy Kaptur [D-OH]
Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick [D-MI]
Rep. John Kuhl [R-NY]
Rep. Rick Larsen [D-WA]
Rep. Zoe Lofgren [D-CA]
Rep. Daniel Lungren [R-CA]
Rep. Tim Mahoney [D-FL]
Rep. Doris Matsui [D-CA]
Rep. Kevin McCarthy [R-CA]
Rep. James McDermott [D-WA]
Rep. John McHugh [R-NY]
Rep. Mike McIntyre [D-NC]
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers [R-WA]
Rep. Jerry McNerney [D-CA]
Rep. Devin Nunes [R-CA]
Rep. Ed Perlmutter [D-CO]
Rep. Todd Platts [R-PA]
Rep. Adam Putnam [R-FL]
Rep. George Radanovich [R-CA]
Rep. Thomas Reynolds [R-NY]
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen [R-FL]
Rep. Bobby Rush [D-IL]
Rep. John Salazar [D-CO]
Rep. Loretta Sanchez [D-CA]
Rep. Christopher Shays [R-CT]
Rep. Heath Shuler [D-NC]
Rep. Michael Simpson [R-ID]
Rep. Louise Slaughter [D-NY]
Rep. Ellen Tauscher [D-CA]
Rep. Michael Thompson [D-CA]
Rep. Greg Walden [R-OR]
Rep. James Walsh [R-NY]
Rep. Peter Welch [D-VT]
Rep. Lynn Woolsey [D-CA]
Rep. David Wu [D-OR]