A few musings

As the produce industry looks for sources to fund its priorities and seems to be hitting a dry hole, I wonder if the time is now to point the guns at imposing meaningful payment limitations on high income program crop farmers. There is no reason why program crop growers should be unscathed by the budget woes inflicted on specialty crop priorities. Plus, saving generated with such limits could generate real dollars to help fund f/v programs.

Air quality standards and ozone regulations are becoming bigger and bigger regulatory issues for farmers. Farm Bureau is devoting a whole staff position to that issue alone. I'll share some of my interview with FB staffers on that topic and others over the next week.

The USDA AMS is anxious - maybe a little too anxious - to ramp up its role in performing GAPs/GHPs audits and lend its assistance in creating national marketing agreements for food safety. In some ways, it represents a promising revenue stream for the Fresh Products Branch, which is dealing with lower trending numbers for destination inspections. Even so, it may be a case where industry needs dovetail with USDA capabilities, provided the agency's audits truly carry the same heft as other respected for profit third party audits.

Still life for for immigration reform

It isn't dead yet, but there are not a lot of tangible reasons to believe the Senate can pull together and pass comprehensive immigration reform this year.

Talking to Sharon Hughes of NCAE this morning, she said Senate backer of immigration legislation are committed to passing a bill. Too much has been invested to walk away. With Harry Reid taking the bill off the immediate agenda last night, it may be tough to regroup.

Congress risks deepening the cynicism and eventual despair of the public and all industry if it cannot deal with this most important of issues.

Reaction: Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance

This just in.... a news release from the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance about House Hort and organic agriculture subcommittee.



Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance
Working to Make American Agriculture Stronger


Washington, DC (June 7, 2007) – The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA) commends the efforts of the U.S. House of Representatives Horticulture and Organic Agriculture Subcommittee to begin the process of creating a more comprehensive and equitable farm bill that addresses the needs of specialty crop producers. The title for the new farm bill approved by the subcommittee, chaired by Representative Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), acknowledges several key priorities for the SCFBA including block grants, pest detection protections, food safety, transportation infrastructure, and return Agriculture Quarantine Inspection activities to USDA. Unfortunately, the title does not include adequate funding for many of these initiatives and leaves several needs identified in H.R. 1600, the Equitable Agriculture Today for a Healthy America Act (EAT Healthy America Act unaddressed. H.R. 1600 was introduced in March by Reps. Cardoza (D-CA), Randy Kuhl (R-NY), John Salazar (D-CO), Adam Putnam (R-FL), Rick Larsen (D-WA), and Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and is cosponsored by 119 Members of Congress. The SCFBA strongly supports the introduction and consideration by Congress of H.R. 1600 as part of the farm bill debate.

Under stringent budget rules, the House Agriculture Committee has no ready funding for programs to address specialty crop needs. SCFBA recognizes these parameters for new programs in the 2007 farm bill, but maintains that it is critical for Congress to find the funding for investment in specialty crops at this time. As so many have recognized, now is the time to begin the framework for bringing equity to farm policy that recognizes the importance of specialty crops to agriculture in all 50 states. The SCFBA will continue to work with the members of the agriculture committees in the House and the Senate and with the leadership of both parties to identify funding opportunities available for specialty crop producers.

Specialty crops compose nearly 50 percent of the farm gate value of U.S. agriculture and should be included in the farm bill on an equal basis with program crops. The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance will work hard to achieve an equitable spending balance as the farm bill is considered in the agriculture committees and on the floors of the House and Senate.


TK: No direct quotes from SCFBA leaders and little signs here on the strategies ahead. Yet even as it calls on Congress to find funding for investment in specialty crop priorities, this release does seem to deflate expectations for the specialty crops industry.