Water woes -

Check this AP story for the latest on what appears to be a plan to cut off federal water to thousands of California farmers for a two week period in March. Here is more coverage from The New York Times. From the NYT:

In a blow to California farmers struggling with a persistent drought, federal authorities released projections on Friday showing that little or no water would be available from federal sources this year for agricultural use. State water supplies were also expected to be severely curtailed, state officials said.


TK: Look for continuing coverage from The Packer on this issue that will surely be one the top fresh produce stories of 2009.

Vilsack and COOL

Here is a press release from the USDA about implementation of country of origin labeling. Follow the link to the letter to industry and you will see that fresh produce is not explicitly mentioned, nor does the letter specifically exclude produce. Certainly, however, the letter appears to address issues concerning meat labeling, though he does state he has concerns about "exemptions provided to processed food." It is unfortunate Vilsack has not had a press conference to date to clarify these questions. From the USDA:

WASHINGTON, Feb. 20, 2009 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the final rule for the Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) program will go into effect as scheduled on March 16th. He also released a letter inviting stakeholders to follow additional voluntary labeling practices. The rule, published in the Federal Register on Jan.15, 2009, has been under regulatory review by USDA pursuant to a Jan. 20, 2009, memorandum from the President's Chief of Staff.

"I strongly support Country of Origin Labeling - it's a critical step toward providing consumers with additional information about the origin of their food," said Vilsack. "The Department of Agriculture will be closely reviewing industry compliance with the rule and will evaluate the practicality of the suggestions for voluntary action in my letter."

During the regulatory review process, Secretary Vilsack determined that allowing the rule to go into effect and carefully monitoring implementation and compliance by retailers and their suppliers would provide the best avenue to evaluate the program. This evaluation period will inform the Secretary's consideration of whether additional rulemaking may be necessary to provide consumers with adequate information.

The COOL regulation requires country of origin labeling for muscle cuts and ground beef (including veal), pork, lamb, goat, and chicken; wild and farm-raised fish and shellfish; fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables; peanuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, and ginseng sold by designated retailers. These commodities must be labeled at retail to indicate the country of origin.

The final rule outlines requirements for labeling covered commodities and the recordkeeping requirements for retailers and suppliers. The rule prescribes specific criteria that must be met for a commodity to bear a "United States Country of Origin" declaration. The rule also contains provisions for labeling covered commodities of foreign origin.

For complete information on the COOL statute and regulation, go to www.ams.usda.gov/cool.