Fresh Produce Discussion Blog

Created by The Packer's National Editor Tom Karst

Monday, November 5, 2007

Harkin on USDA statement

Quickly responding to the statement by Acting Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner, the office of Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Ia., released this statement this p.m.:

Statement of Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA)
USDA Statement on Senate Farm Bill
Washington, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, issued the following statement in response to this afternoon’s announcement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on the Senate farm bill. Consideration of the bill begins today in the Senate.
“We have not yet received a Statement of Administration Policy, but I am concerned by this announcement today. I am hopeful we will be able to work through many of the Administration’s concerns as the farm bill moves through the full Senate and into a conference with the House. Let us hope the White House will work cooperatively with the House and the Senate to craft a farm bill the President will sign.”

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Conner: top advisers recommend farm bill veto

In his teleconference today, Acting Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner said top Administration advisers will recommend a veto of the Senate farm bill as it is currently constituted. The White House will be issuing a Statement of Administration Policy outlining specific objections soon and that will be available on the Web site of the Office of Management and Budget Conner said both the House and Senate bills rely on "tax increases and budget gimmicks to pay for priorities that deserve to be funded in an honest fashion." Conner said the Senate bill "makes a mockery of the budget process," with $22 billion in budget gimmicks and $15 billion in new taxes.

Still, Conner said he believes the bill can be changed to reflect good farm and good fiscal policy. "It has a long ways to go."

Now, will Congress listen to the White House or call the bluff?

Developing.....

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Harkin brings farm bill to floor

From the office of Sen. Tom Harkin:



Harkin Ushers 2007 Farm Bill to Senate Floor

Washington, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today ushered to the Senate floor the 2007 farm bill – the Food and Energy Security Act of 2007. The measure passed the Committee on October 25th.

Following are excerpts of Chairman Harkin’s opening floor speech on the bill, as prepared for delivery.

Maintaining a Strong Farm Safety Net …
“In my view, a very positive feature of this bill is that we continue the counter-cyclical income protection system we reinstated in the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002. We also will allow farmers, at their option, to choose a new form of counter-cyclical program named Average Crop Revenue, and modeled after legislation introduced by Senators Durbin and Brown. This new choice for farmers will make farm income protection stronger and more flexible. It will allow farmers better to manage their farms’ risk in today’s uncertain and evolving farm environment.”

Promoting Specialty Crops …
“This legislation will help our nation’s specialty crop growers to address the diverse array of challenges they face in today’s increasingly complex and competitive global marketplace. The programs within this bill will help America’s specialty crop producers gain access to overseas markets where they can promote and sell their products. It will also strengthen our national prevention and surveillance system for invasive pests and diseases, which will help protect the stability and health of fruits and vegetables in this country. We increase research on specialty crops to prevent the spread of plant-based viruses.”

Improving Nutrition for a Healthier America …
“… to some, the farm bill may seem an abstraction – removed from the pulse of every day life. But this is not the case. The farm bill touches the lives of million of Americans – and no where is this more evident than in the nutrition title of the farm bill. In the nutrition sections of this bill, we strengthen America’s commitment to fighting hunger and promoting sound health and nutrition. By strengthening food assistance to low-income Americans, the bill that is before us will help millions of Americans who currently live in the shadow of hunger. Because of the assistance that this bill provides, millions of Americans will put food on their tables, will be better able to afford child care so that they can enter the workforce, will be able to save modest sums for retirements and for the education of their children. And because of this bill, millions of low-income children in school throughout America, will be introduced, some perhaps for the first time, to fresh fruits and vegetables that science tells us are critical to sound health and the prevention of diet-related chronic disease.”

Ramping Up Renewable, Farm-Based Energy …
“This energy title will help farmers and rural communities across the country to join a major transition in which our agricultural sector supplies clean biofuels and renewable energy for all of America. It gives farmers a chance to add biomass crops to their farming operations, with federal support to protect against the financial risks associated with this transition. It supports rural communities with their development of biorefineries for production of biofuels and bioproducts. It also helps farmers and ranchers and rural small businesses who want to improve their own energy systems through grants and loan guarantees for energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy systems. And, it emphasizes a particular opportunity – help for farmers and communities to install livestock manure to energy facilities that address environmental and odor problems while utilizing a valuable energy resource. It will make investments in research that will complement and enhance rural energy production opportunities.”

Promoting and Supporting Good Stewardship of Land and Water …
“Agricultural and forest lands accounts for 69 percent of all land in the United States. This means that farmers, ranchers and forest-land owners are the first line of defense for our environment. They are America’s “first conservationists.” The Conservation title of the farm bill gives them the tools they need for voluntary efforts to conserve soil, to protect water and air quality, and to increase wildlife habitat on their land – and maintain and improve our nation’s natural resources for future generations.

Transitioning Farmers into Organic Production …
“In this bill, we make it a priority to help farmers who are serious about getting into organic production, and we help them overcome the challenges of transitioning into this industry. For instance, we include $80 million over five years for research into organic production and marketing. We included $5 million for price, yield and overall data collection (the industry has grown so quickly that, right now, this important market information is not being adequately captured). We also removed the 5 percent surcharge arbitrarily charged to organic producers that want to reduce their risk by getting crop insurance. And we make the EQIP program more universally available for farmers to transition into organic agriculture while adopting sound conservation practices.”

Fighting Hunger and Malnutrition across the Globe …
“In this bill we set aside a specific amount of funding under Title II for non-emergency, development assistance projects. The creation of this safe box is intended to send a strong message that it is not acceptable for USAID to use non-emergency program funding as the piggy bank to raid if regular appropriations for Title II emergency programs are inadequate.
“… the trade title also gives USAID authority for a pilot program to conduct local or regional cash purchase of food. For the last few years, the President has requested authority to use up to 25 percent of Title II funds for local or regional cash purchase, but I think this concept needs careful testing before we consider adopting it on a larger scale. I also want to make clear that I see local cash purchase as a complement to donation of U.S. commodities, not as a substitute.”

Promoting Farmers Markets and Locally Grown Foods …
“Too often, farmers can and want to expand production of foods to be sold locally, but they face difficulties finding markets. Larger retail outlets want consistent and abundant quantity, which is something a small farmer can’t always provide. This bill seeks to solve this problem by fostering new opportunities for farmers to band together, and by providing funding through the value-added development grant program as well as loans through the Business and Industry Loan program. The aim is to make it possible for farmers and others to aggregate or distribute locally grown foods from many small farms, and to market their products to larger retail stores. “

Creating More Vibrant Rural Communities and a Stronger Rural Economy …
“The Agriculture Committee has responsibility for crafting public policies that support not only farmers but all our citizens who live in small towns and rural communities. Rural America confronts unique challenges because of its low population density, the limited capacity of local governments, and other special circumstances. In recent years, we have come to appreciate that agriculture and rural development are closely intertwined and have a common fate. And we need to go forward with a policy framework that supports both our farms and our rural economy.”

Advancing Agricultural Research …
“The research title will increase competitive grant opportunities for basic and applied agricultural research, and strengthen the research, extension and education programs administered by USDA through land-grant institutions.”

Assisting Beginning Farmers …
“The largest obstacles to farm entry for a beginning farmer and rancher are access to credit and land. Since 1990, a portion funding in the Farm Service Agency loan programs have been reserved for beginning farmers and ranchers. This bill expands the credit opportunities for beginning farmers by increasing the funding set aside in the Farm Service Agency loan programs and increasing the direct farm ownership and operating loan limit for the first time in over two decades. Socially disadvantaged farmers face many of the same challenges beginning farmers do. In recognition of this, the bill increases opportunities for socially disadvantaged farmers by authorizing wider participation in FSA loan programs.”

Preserving Competition in the Livestock Industry …
“I am proud of the fact that this is the first farm bill ever to include a livestock title dedicated to the needs of livestock, poultry and egg producers, and aimed at promoting animal health and expanding market opportunities.”

Strengthening Food Safety …
“Let me mention that – at the urging of Senator Durbin – the bill requires the creation of a Congressional Bipartisan Food Safety Commission. This commission would be responsible for reviewing the nation’s food safety system and making recommendations on how best to modernize the current structure. Over the last year, we’ve had outbreaks of E. coli contamination in bagged spinach and lettuce and numerous recalls of very large quantities of meat and meat products. We’ve had repeated cases of contaminated food – everything from peanut butter to seafood to hamburger. So the work of this new Congressional Bipartisan Food Safety Commission will be both timely and urgent.”

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Fresh Talk Agenda

Besides the Senate's expected action on the farm bill, here is what else is on the Fresh Talk agenda this week. Remember to look for details of these events and other future events in the Fresh Talk calendar at the bottom of this blog:=. (And remember to send notice of future events to tkarst@thepacker.com):

Monday, November 5
Packer sections: Yuma Fall Vegetables/mTexas Citrus/m Combo

Tuesday, November 6
Election Day
Wednesday, November 7
Texas Pepper Foundation’s scientific pepper conference
California Certified Organic Farmers’ Organic System Plan training
New England Produce Council dinner meeting
Thursday, November 8
Texas Pepper Foundation’s scientific pepper conference
Training for a Recall, Communicating Under Fire

Friday, November 9
Texas Pepper Foundation’s scientific pepper conference
Training for a Recall, Communicating Under Fire
USDA Crop Production
Saturday, November 10
Training for a Recall, Communicating Under Fire
SFT 2007 “World Fruit and Vegetables Unique Business Platform in China”
Sunday, November 11
SFT 2007 “World Fruit and Vegetables Unique Business Platform in China”
Western Growers 82nd annual meeting
North Carolina Strawberry Assoclation’s Southeast Strawberry Expo
Veteran's Day

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First time in Spanish

Jim Gorny of the Postharvest Technology Research & Information Center passes on this news release announcing the publication on CD of a Spanish language version of the valuable publication Postharvest Technology of Horticultural Crops. By the way, if you have questions, Jim's email is jgorny@ucdavis.edu.

Produce Handling Guide Now Available On CD In Spanish


DAVIS, CA (November 5, 2007) -- The Postharvest Technology Research & Information Center at the University of California, Davis, has just published and made available for the first time a Spanish language CD version of its renowned Postharvest Technology of Horticultural Crops third edition. It is one of, if not “the” most comprehensive and inclusive compendium of information regarding postharvest handling of fresh fruits, vegetables and floral crops.“We are constantly striving to provide produce practitioners with useful, user-friendly and up-to-date technical resources to assist them in reducing costly postharvest losses and helping them to assure the quality, safety and marketability of fresh produce for consumers. This latest offering for the first time available in Spanish and on CD, gives users the flexibility to access the extensive up-to-date information contained within this world renowned reference resource wherever and whenever they need it,” said U.C. Davis Postharvest Technology Research & Information Center Executive Director Dr. Jim Gorny.“Our hope is that industry representatives will turn knowledge into actions to enhance consumer satisfaction with produce purchases and thus increase consumption of these healthful, wholesome and nutritious food items” said Adel Kader UC Davis Professor Emeritus of Postharvest Physiology and publication Technical Editor.This Spanish language CD, compliments the English language print predecessor – Postharvest Technology of Horticultural Crops third edition most recently updated and published in 2002. This new publication of nearly 600 printed pages and 38 chapters covers in easy to understand language essential information regarding the harvest, cooling, packaging, storage, handling, ripening and marketing of fresh produce. It is a must have reference resource for anyone working in the produce industry.“The Spanish language CD version of the Postharvest Technology of Horticultural Crops is a powerful information resource which will assist anyone working with fresh produce to understand core underlying principles of postharvest handling and diagnose commonly encountered problems” said Clara Pelayo-Zaldivar Professor of Postharvest Physiology Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Unidad Iztapalapa, Mexico and publication Translation Coordinator. “It is useful for everyone working with produce, from technical to sales personnel, to have information like this at their fingertips.” The publication Tecnología Postcosecha de Cultivos Hortofrutícolas is available for purchase ($65/copy + shipping & handling) from the U.C. Postharvest Technology Research & Information Center Online Bookstore at: http://postharvest.ucdavis.edu/Pubs/pub_list.shtml

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A push to get AQI back to USDA

The Senate will probably get a chance to consider an amendment during the farm bill debate that would move AQI functions back to USDA. The drumbeat of support for the move is heard in this letter passed on by an industry lobbyist today:

November 5, 2007

The Honorable Tom Harkin
The Honorable Saxby Chambliss
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Chairman Harkin and Senator Chambliss:

The undersigned organizations write in strong support of restoring the Quarantine and Inspection functions now at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The 2003 transfer of inspectors previously dedicated to agricultural threats has proven to be unsuccessful. A May 2006 U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report documented that detections at ports of entry have dropped dramatically while the threats have increased. Moreover, the GAO report found that only 21 percent of agricultural inspectors at DHS consistently received timely inspection alerts. In addition, a 2007 report from the Offices of Inspectors General for both DHS and USDA along with a recent investigation by the House Agriculture Committee and additional GAO reviews in 2006 and 2005 all found persistent problems.

Despite many assurances that performance will improve, the problems continue and lead us to conclude that improvement is not possible in the current structure. The threat of pests and disease is too great for us to continue to wait, particularly since the USDA program had an excellent track record. A 2004 Cornell study showed that invasive species cost U.S. agriculture $120 billion annually and continued delay in addressing this issue will only increase these costs.

We resolutely support the DHS’ statutory mission to protect us from terrorist attack and reduce our vulnerability to such threats. Restoring agricultural functions to USDA will simultaneously improve the detection of agricultural risks while permitting those charged with our overall security to focus on their mission that is of the greatest importance.

To protect American agriculture and our natural environment, we urge you to support the transfer of the Agricultural Quarantine and Inspection functions and restore our confidence in this important safeguard.

Sincerely,

American Beekeeping Federation
American Farm Bureau Federation
American Feed Industry Association
American Mushroom Institute
American Nursery and Landscape Association
American Sheep Industry Association
American Society for Horticultural Science
Association of Floriculture Professionals
Cherry Marketing Institute
National Association of State Departments of Agriculture
National Association of Wheat Growers
National Chicken Council
National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
National Farmers Union
National Milk Producers Federation
National Pork Producers Council
National Potato Council
National Watermelon Association
Nectarine Administrative Committee
Peach Commodity Committee
Produce Marketing Association
Society of American Florists
United Egg Producers
United Fresh Produce Association
U.S. Apple Association
Winegrape Growers of America
Blue Diamond Growers
CalCot Ltd.
California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers
California Association of Wheat Growers
California Association of Winegrape Growers
California Avocado Commission
California Citrus Mutual
California Fresh Fig Growers Association
California Grape and Tree Fruit League
California Plum Marketing Board
California Strawberry Commission
California Table Grape Commission
California Tree Fruit Agreements
California Tree Fruit Marketing Board
Empire State Potato Growers, Inc.
Florida Citrus Mutual
Florida Citrus Packers Association
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association
Florida Strawberry Growers Association
Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association
Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation
Holly Tree Farm
Idaho Grower-Shipper Association
Idaho Potato Commission
Indian River Citrus League
Maine Potato Board
Miami-Dade County
Michigan Apple Committee
Michigan Agri-Business Association
Michigan Bean Shippers Association
Muddy Lake Cattle Company
New York Wine & Grape Foundation
North Carolina Wine & Grape Council
Northern Plains Potato Growers Association
Northwest Horticultural Council
Ohio Apple Growers
Ohio Wine Producers Association
Oregon Potato Commission
Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Farmers Organization
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
Pennsylvania Farm Bureau
Pennsylvania Farmers Union
Pennsylvania Landscape and Nursery Association
Pennsylvania Vegetable Growers Association
Peace River Valley Citrus Growers Association
Potato Growers of Idaho
South East Dairy Farmers Association
Sunkist Growers
Sun-Maid Growers of California
Texas Citrus Mutual
Texas Produce Association
Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association
Virginia Apple Growers Association
Washington Apple Commission
Washington State Potato Commission
Western Growers Association
Western United Dairymen
WineAmerica
Wine Association of Georgia
Winegrowers Association of Georgia





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Fresh & Easy Teaser

Luis of the Fresh Produce Industry Discussion Group posts a great compilation here of some news and notes about Tesco. Luis links to the Fresh & Easy blog, and also the video teaser that I have embedded here.


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