What about country of origin labeling?

In a conversation this morning, Chris Schlect of the Northwest Horticultural Council pointed to the increasing agitation of some in the trade about the mandatory country of origin labeling issue. If Congress can't come to grips with the farm bill in a timely fashion, what happens to plans for a more reasonable COOL statute in the new farm bill and orderly implementation of the law by September? Many questions remain. The last time I asked Jimmie Turner of AMS about the proposed fee on retailers for COOL implementation, he said the AMS would have no comment about the proposal, which was tucked into the fiscal year 2009 federal budget. The trade needs answers sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, there is no "rather than" left anymore.