More specifics

This from the office of Rep. Adam Putnam, from Karen Williams. Karen notes that several titles are closed but Final Farm Bill Conference Agreement has not been signed.

T10-5 Specialty Crop Block Grants (Sec. 10102) $470 million

Program of block grants to states to support projects in marketing, research, education, pest/disease management, production, and food safety.

T10 -15 Pest and Disease Program (Sec. 10201) $385 minus $ 8 million

Establishes a new program to conduct early pest detection and surveillance activities in coordination with state departments of agriculture, to prioritize and create action plans to address pest and disease threats to specialty crops, and to create an audit-based certification approach to protect against the spread of

T7-95 Specialty Crop Research (Sec. 7411 - Research Title) $230 million

Establishes the Specialty Crop Research Initiative to develop and disseminate science-based tools to address the needs of specific crops and their regions, including work in plant breeding and genetics, safety, quality, and yield; efforts to identify and address threats posed by invasive species; marketing; pollination and efforts to improve production.

Planting Flexibility- Would allow the planting of fruits and vegetables for processing on 75,000 acres in seven designated Midwestern states.

Stone fruit to Australia - Someday

Well, it's a start. From the USDA FAS comes this notice that the notoriously tough plant quarantine officials Down Under have released the draft import risk analysis for stone fruit from the U.S. From the report:

Below is the text of Biosecurity Australia advice notifying the release of the Draft Import Risk Analysis (IRA) for stone fruit from the United States. Comments and submissions should be sent to Biosecurity Australia by June 27, 2008. A full copy of the draft IRA report and other relevant information can be found on the Biosecurity Australia website at: http://www.daff.gov.au/ba/ira/current-plant/stonefruit-usa.

DRAFT IMPORT RISK ANALYSIS REPORT FOR STONE FRUIT FROM THE USA
This Biosecurity Australia Advice notifies stakeholders of the release of the Draft import risk analysis report for stone fruit from California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington (USA). The draft report identifies a number of pests that require quarantine measures, including apple maggot, fruit boring moths, leafrollers, me alybugs and thrips. Depending on the particular pests of concern, the proposed quarantine measures may include irradiation, fumigation with methyl bromide, cold treatment, establishment of pest free areas and/or visual inspection. The draft report invites further information to support the efficacy of particular measures proposed for apple maggot and peach twig borer pests. This draft report is being issued for 60 days consultation. Comments and submissions are invited by 27 June 2008.

The draft report and information about the regulated IRA process are available from the Biosecurity Australia website, www.biosecurityaustralia.gov.au. Printed copies are available, if required. Comments on the draft IRA report should be submitted by 27 June 2008 to:
Plant Biosecurity
Biosecurity Australia
GPO Box 858
CANBERRA ACT 2601
Telephone: +61 2 6272 5094
Facsimile: +61 2 6272 3307
E-mail: plant@biosecurity.gov.au

European eye on the farm bill

The farm bill is attracting plenty of interest in Europe, not only for the level of farm subsidies that will be endorsed but also for other provisions that are barely noticed by most observers. For example, this USDA FAS report on European citrus says this about the concerns of producers there about one provision:

EU Clementine producers and exporters remain very concerned about a proposed marketing order (MO) for Clementine oranges to be sold in the United States. U.S. producers have proposed the MO and appear to have support from the U.S. Congress to add Clementines to the list of imports under Section 8(e), under which the U.S. Government could impose grade and quality restrictions on all Clementines in the U.S. market during certain periods of the year. The proposed inclusion of Clementines in the list of 8(e) commodities is part of the currently proposed farm bill, which has not yet been agreed nor signed into law by the President of the United States. Once on the list, the U.S. Department of Agriculture would still have to consider a petition from U.S. Clementine growers to establish the MO. The process of consideration could take up to two years to complete. If agreed, the MO would outline all of
the requirements to market Clementines in the United States during specified periods of each year.