Remember our troops

I was reading an email newsletter from Rep. Adam Putnam. While the bulk of the letter was about the bailout plan and the farm bill, I appreciated that Putnam and his staff included a link to a Web site where anyone can go and write an encouraging word to our troops. Here is the link.

Putnam put it well: "These acts of kindness and remembrance mean a lot to our troops and they appreciate knowing the American people back home are thinking about them." I took the opportunity to send a message to our troops and hope you do as well.

Putnam: financial hurricane demands answer

From the office of Rep. Adam Putnam:

The House of Representatives today failed to pass the economic rescue legislation. Prior to the vote, Congressman Putnam spoke on the Floor of the House on why he felt this legislation needed to be passed. The complete text of his remarks is below.

PUTNAM: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Alabama for yielding. There's an old Chinese proverb: ‘may you live in interesting times.’ These are interesting and remarkable times. The past two weeks we’ve seen the five largest investment banks in the United States be reduced to two. Last week the largest bank in the United States failed. Over 2,000 branches spread out across this country, retail outlets, where ordinary Americans, downtown merchants, farmers, students, seniors, savers relied on that bank to meet their needs. It failed last week.

This morning another major bank on the brink of collapse was purchased for $1 a share. Last week, a money market fund announced that for the first time they had broken the buck, they could not guarantee that every dollar that you put into that money market account would be retrievable on your request. And a second major money market account announced they were closing and not accepting any new deposits for fear of the same thing happening to them.

Now, when you get beyond credit swaps and derivatives and all these complicated things that obviously not even the Wall Street traders who were engaging in them understood, and start talking about the bank on the corner failing, and the money market funds where every small business holds their payroll, where every saver is trying to ring out an extra half a point of interest, you have reached main street.

You are now standing at the brink of a financial collapse that is well beyond the financial capitals of the world. And I also failed to mention, since we are not just talking about an American problem, that this weekend alone three of the largest banks in Europe either failed or were nationalized. So we live in interesting times.

And we are watching one domino after another fall that are the pillars of our financial system here in the United States.

Now, I tried to think of the right analogy and it dawned on me that, you know, being from Florida we get a lot of hurricanes. And in 2004 we had three hurricanes come across central Florida, my home. In nine weeks. Bam-bam-bam. And then a year later we watched a storm come across Florida and build in the Gulf and it got bigger and bigger and moved faster and faster and had a bull's-eye on New Orleans. And I, like a lot of Americans, wondered why more people weren't leaving? Why more people weren't heeding the warnings that were so obvious from the weather map of what was building into a monster in the Gulf of Mexico. If you ever wondered why people don't get out of the way of an oncoming storm, a hurricane that is barreling down on top of you, despite days of notice, despite satellite imagery, despite all of the best advancements in communications, then you have to apply that same analogy to what we are seeing now.

One bank after another failing, rolling out of New York, rolling out of Brussels, out of London, out of these places that seem so foreign into our Main Streets, into our merchant associations, into our farmer cooperatives. You're watching this happen, so how could you as a Member of Congress in seeing that roll across the countryside, not do everything in your power to prevent it?

Now, the previous speaker made an outstanding reference to the fact that congress is known for producing fairly bad legislation in the aftermath of a crisis. What we have before us today is an attempt to avert that crisis and all of the rushed legislation that would follow a collapse, the likes of which we have not seen in this country since the 1930s.

This bill is a substantially different bill than what Secretary Paulson and the president sent up here a week ago.

It is a better bill than what they sent up here, and it is a bipartisan bill. We talked about how remarkable these times are.

Last week, two candidates who have spent two years, two difficult, hard fought years, looking for a way to beat the other one to become the next President of the United states, both hit the pause button and released a joint statement of principles in agreement that Congress needs to act to avert a financial collapse.

This body has come together to produce a bill that is distasteful to most. That required both sides to give up many of the individual items that they thought would be helpful: pro-growth capital gains policies that Republicans thought would be helpful. Affordable housing trust funds issues that the Democrats thought would be helpful. Both gone from the draft of this bill.

And instead focusing on the central goal which is to avert the financial collapse that all of the experts and all of the evidence and all of the bank failures and all of the money market closings indicate is very possible if Congress doesn't act.

So by virtue of Congress coming together and improving the Paulson plan, by virtue of the people's elected representatives having the opportunity to weigh in on this issue, and to hash out these problems and to work around the clock on the weekends, to make this a better bill, it will not cost $700 billion as has been widely reported in the original draft, for a variety of reasons: the potential upside of the assets that the government is buying. The insurance program. The most recent intervention that this Congress passed in the GSEs was estimated at $300 billion in costs. It was actually scored at $25 billion in cost. So it's important that the taxpayers understand that because the Congress has moved forward on this issue, it will be a smaller tab for the taxpayer. But it will be an effective intervention to restore the confidence necessary to avoid the kind of panic that we haven't seen in generations in this country.

This is no longer the Paulson-President's plan. Because of the work that Chairman Frank and the Republican negotiators have done, this is a better bill. Better for the taxpayer. No golden parachutes for CEOs who drive their companies into the ground and walk away with millions. None of the special interest projects that concerned so many people on our side. But most importantly the evidence is overwhelming that we must act.

It is always difficult to compile legislation this complex under such a short time frame. We are up against a short time frame because of the markets, because of the holidays, because of the natural calendar and our political cycle. The only thing worse than that is the kind of legislation that will result in the aftermath of the debris that remains after a financial collapse.

And so I stand here today willing to support this bipartisan compromise that has been hashed out over these last several days, that is such an improvement over what we began a week ago, but is so important to the financial architecture – not just of investment firms and speculators and people who got too-cute-by-half with someone else's money, but someone who is willing to support this bill because it is so important to the seniors, the savers, the merchants, and the farmers who need to understand that the confidence will be there in their banking system, that they don't have to withdraw their funds and stick them under the mattress. That our country's free market system is still the greatest in the world and that this intervention will allow those credit markets to unlock, and we'll be able to unwind and deleverage this marketplace and move forward together.

So I compliment my Chairman. I compliment our Republican negotiators, Mr. Blunt and Mr. Cantor, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill. I yield back my time.

First up - House Subcommittee on Horticulture

Here is the only Congressional hearing today. Rep. Rosa DeLauro's oversight hearing on the appropriations subcommittee - previously scheduled for today - has been postponed until after the August work period.


Wednesday, July 30th – 1:00 p.m.1300 Longworth House Office Building
Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture — Public Hearing.RE: To review legal and technological capacity for full traceability in fresh produce.
WITNESS LIST
Panel I
The Honorable Diana DeGette, Member of Congress from the First Congressional District of Colorado
Honorable Adam Putnam, Member of Congress from the Twelfth Congressional District of Florida
Panel II
Dr. David W.K. Acheson, M.D., Associate Commissioner for Food Protection, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Rockville, Maryland
Dr. Lonnie J. King, Director, DVM, National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne, and Enteric Diseases (ZVED), Center for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia
Panel III
Mr. Anthony J. DiMare, Vice President, DiMare Homestead Inc., DiMare Ruskin Inc., and DiMare Johns Island Inc., Ruskin, Florida
Mr. Henry L. Giclas, Vice President, Strategic Planning, Science and Technology, Western Growers Association, Irvine, California
Mr. Brian Silberman, President, Produce Marketing Association, Newark, Delaware
Mr. Thomas E. Stenzel, President and CEO, United Fresh Produce Association, Washington, DC
Panel IV
Dr. James R. Gorny, Ph.D., Executive Director, Postharvest Technology Research and Information Center, University of California, Davis, California
Ms. Jean Halloran, Director, Food Policy Initiatives, Consumers Union, Yonkers, New York
Dr. Michael Osterholm, Director, Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota


TK: Here is the link to the witness list of tomorrow's hearing at the House Energy and Commerce Committee, oversignts and investigations subcommittee.

Tomato compensation and searching for the jalapeno king

It is going to be tough to set a dollar amount on the damages incurred by the tomato industry as a result of the salmonella outbreak advisories. Factors such as acreage and weather conditions play into the level of shipments and the market price. One would assume that figures will be put forward in next week's Congressional hearings that attempt to estimate the cost. In fact, here is an AP video on the compensation issues can be found:






Further, here is a press release from Rep. Tim Mahoney of Florida about legislation he has already introduced to address the problem:

Following the Food & Drug Administration's (FDA) announcement that tomatoes were not the likely source of a recent salmonella outbreak, Congressman Tim Mahoney (FL-16) has introduced a bill, H.R. 6581, to compensate tomato growers and packers nationwide for their losses due to the salmonella scare, which according to the Florida Tomato Exchange's estimates could be close to $100 million.
Congressman Mahoney, who is Florida's only representative on the House Agriculture Committee, also called on the Committee to hold field hearings in his district to examine what reforms are needed to ensure food safety. The Agriculture Committee plans to schedule a hearing in mid-September.
"The FDA's warnings about tomatoes devastated the $1.3 billion tomato industry. Due to the timing of the salmonella outbreak, Florida was hit hard. We need to ensure that all impacted tomato growers and packers are compensated for their losses to protect domestic food production," said Congressman Mahoney. "With unfortunate events like this, Americans are becoming aware that food safety and national security are synonymous. We clearly need to examine and overhaul our food safety system to ensure that the food we grow and import is safe."
In April, the FDA issued a nationwide warning that tomatoes were a possible source of a salmonella outbreak that made 1,220 people ill in 42 states, the District of Columbia and Canada. After a long investigation, the FDA recently determined that fresh tomatoes now available in the domestic market are not associated with the current outbreak and the agency has rescinded its warning against eating certain types of red raw tomatoes.
The Mahoney Bill, which is also cosponsored by U.S. Representatives Allen Boyd, Adam Putnam, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and Vern Buchanan, directs the Secretary of Agriculture to make payments to tomato growers and first handlers that were unable to market tomato crops as a result of the Food and Drug Administration's Public Health Advisory issued in June 2008 due to the salmonella outbreak. The U.S. Department of Agriculture will be responsible for issuing regulations and determining eligibility for compensation, as they have in other disaster programs.
"The tomato industry in our state has unfairly suffered enough," Rep. Wasserman Schultz (FL-20) said. "The FDA must reform their trace-back programs so that growers and consumers do not have to go through the same nightmare during future outbreaks."


TK: Don't expect smooth sailing for the bill. In this coverage of Mahoney's bill, the WSJ reported that consumer groups had some "pushback" on the issue.

Consumer advocates oppose the bill. Sarah Klein, a staff attorney at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said the food-industry lobby over the years has weakened federal food-safety oversight, and consumers shouldn't foot the bill now. "We'd like to see the industry focusing on how to prevent these outbreaks for the future to protect consumers and their bottom line," she said.
Tom Stenzel, president of United Fresh Produce Association, said the fresh-produce industry has sought tougher FDA regulation of tomatoes and other items. In recent years, Florida tomato growers and California leafy-green growers pushed through tougher measures in their own states, including mandatory inspections and training.
But the industry disagrees on who should benefit from the bill. Mr. Mahoney said it covers farmers and shippers, which were hit the hardest by the FDA warning. Mr. Stenzel, said it also should cover those further up the supply chain, such as packers and repackers, who suffered damages, too.
It is uncertain whether the bill will pass Congress. There isn't similar legislation in the Senate, and there is little time for lawmakers to act before the November election. Last year, spinach growers unsuccessfully pushed a similar measure to compensate for losses after the government's 2006 recall of fresh spinach after an outbreak of E. coli.







Meanwhile, Luis provided this post at the Fresh Produce Industry Discussion Group, adding some perspective as to the size and scope of the jalapeno production and exports to the U.S.:



Exports, most of them to the United States, have risen between 10 and 15 percent every year over the last decade and now over 100,000 hectares (247,000 acres) of peppers are grown in Mexico, 80 percent of them jalapenos.
Dozens of varieties of chiles, some which provoke sweating and crying, have become a cooking trend in the United States. Food writer and spice expert Dave DeWitt describes the fad as "culinary bungee jumping."
"Very rarely do you ever hear someone say, 'I used to eat hot and spicy food but now I'm back to bland,'" said DeWitt, the author of over 30 books on chiles like "The Spicy Food Lover's Bible" and "The Chile Pepper Encyclopedia."
Inspectors are holding up truck loads of the some 100 tons of peppers crossing into the United States from Mexico every day, raising the risk of produce being left to rot before it reaches stores, Gochicoa said.

TK: Gary Lucier of the USDA Economic Research reports that imports of fresh chili peppers from Mexico during the first four months of the year - assumed to be mostly jalapenos - were up 25% compared with the same period a year ago. Shipments through the first four months of the year translated to about one pound of fresh chili peppers per person in the U.S.


Developing...I'm on the scout for a few shippers of fresh jalapenos for a market update...If there is a "jalapeno king," I will find him....

Putnam: "I am proud to support it."

A key Republican leader in the House, Rep. Adam Putnam of Florida is also a strong backer of the specialty crop industry. He followed his constituency rather than President Bush on the farm bill. From his office yesterday:

Congressman Adam H. Putnam (R-Fla.) today announced his strong support for the Farm Bill (HR 2419, The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008). As a Farm Bill Conferee, Putnam worked with his colleagues to craft the five-year farm policy measure.

“Ensuring the American people have a safe and secure supply of food is one of the most important priorities of this Congress,” said Putnam. “This legislation does that while making historic investments in fruit and vegetable production, conservation, nutrition and renewable energy of importance to Florida and our nation.

“Especially important to Florida is this legislation’s recognition of the importance of specialty crops, such as fruits and vegetables and plant nurseries, for which Florida ranks second in the nation in production,” said Putnam. “For the first time in a Farm Bill, resources are directed toward controlling the diseases and pests that threaten Florida agriculture.”

The measure also enhances conservation and it provides increased funding to protect water quality and wildlife habitats. Putnam helped to write the provision for the Cooperative Conservation Program Initiative to coordinate conservation activities between USDA and state and local entities.

“This is by no means a perfect bill. For instance there continues to be too much emphasis on corn-based ethanol,” Putnam said. “But it includes important reforms and it encourages additional alternatives, such as cellulosic-based bio fuels.”

In addition to bringing more equity for Florida in agricultural policy, the Bill also includes unprecedented reforms in program eligibility requirements, eliminating payments to wealthy non-farm interests, while preserving conservation and disaster eligibility to farmers and ranchers most in need of assistance.

“Taken as a whole this is important legislation to improve the nation’s agriculture policy and I am proud to support it.”

Since 2001, Putnam has represented Florida’s 12th Congressional District, which includes most of Polk County and portions of Hillsborough and Osceola counties. As chairman of the Republican Conference, he is the third ranking member of his party’s leadership in the House of Representatives.

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.

Stenzel's reaction to Putnam Costa

Just slid across the inbox: the expected endorsement from United:

Washington, DC – United Fresh Produce Association President Tom Stenzel issued the following statement today regarding the Safe Food Enforcement, Assessment, Standards and Targeting Act (Safe FEAST Act), a new bipartisan food safety bill introduced in the House of Representatives today by Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA) and Rep. Adam Putman (R-FL).
“We congratulate Congressmen Costa and Putman on their leadership in introducing the Safe FEAST Act of 2008. There are a number of provisions in this bipartisan bill that can work to enhance a strong food safety regulatory framework that builds public confidence in fresh produce. We look forward to working with Congressmen Costa and Putman on the details of their bill, as well as other Congressional leaders in both the House and Senate.
“Fresh produce is an essential part of the diet to improve public health, with the federal government’s own 2005 Dietary Guidelines calling for consumption of 9-13 servings per day for fruits and vegetables. That’s almost double current consumption for most consumers, and has led to the public health campaign Fruits and Veggies: More Matters led by the Centers for Disease Control and the Produce for Better Health Foundation.
“To meet these health goals, the public must have confidence that the federal government, states, produce companies and growers are working together across the total produce industry to assure the safest possible foods. Our industry is committed to employing best agricultural and handling practices for both domestically grown and imported foods, and looks forward to continuing to work with Congress, the Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the states to ensure that we provide the safest and most healthy, nutritious produce possible to American consumers.”

Putnam - Costa

If there is a bill that most closely represents the preferences of the industry in potential food safety legislation, this bill may be the ticket. Here is the release describing the Putnam Costa bill, introduced today, followed by some reaction from the GMA:

WASHINGTON – U.S. Representatives Jim Costa (D-Calif.) and Adam Putnam (R-Fla.) today introduced legislation to modernize America’s food safety network. The Safe Food Enforcement, Assessment, Standards and Targeting Act, “Safe FEAST Act,” would establish new food safety requirements for domestically produced and imported food to identify and prevent potential sources of food-borne illness. For the first time, the measure grants the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) statutory power to recall contaminated food in the case of adulteration.

Costa a member of the Committee on Agriculture and Putnam, Chairman of the Republican Conference said they expect the bipartisan measure to earn support among consumers and industry groups.

“The last time our food safety laws had major reforms, President Eisenhower was in office. Much has changed since then; American consumers deserve to have confidence in their food supply and American farmers and processors are doing everything possible to produce the safest food in the world,” said Costa.

“This is a bill to ensure the highest level of food safety for our nation’s food supply,” said Putnam. “Cases of food-borne illness present a health risk to consumers and risk consumer confidence in our food supply. The need for this legislation is clear.” Nearly 25,000 cases of food-borne illness were reported in the United States during 2006, he noted

“What is lacking,” said Costa, “is to have a system that ensures best management practices to strengthen the relationship between federal and state agencies to better prevent and control food safety threats at all levels of food production. I believe these are realistic and achievable steps, and will make the American consumer's food supply safer, which is the goal of this legislation.”

To ensure that food products coming into the United States from international sources are safe, imported goods would have to adhere to the same safety and quality standards as set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Foreign Suppliers Quality Assurance Program would verify that all imported goods meet FDA safety requirements and requires food importers to complete a foreign supplier food safety plan, documenting the food safety measures and controls for FDA review.

The bill includes a Mandatory Food Risk Assessment and Preventative Controls Plan that requires all domestic and foreign food companies selling food in U.S. to conduct a food safety risk analysis that identifies potential sources of contamination, outlines appropriate food safety controls, and requires verification that the food safety controls implemented are adequate to address the risks of food-borne contamination.

It establishes new standards for fruits and vegetables, including updating Good Agricultural Practices Guidance for safe production and issuance of regulation on safety standards, when risk and science demonstrate standards are needed. Increases coordination between, federal, state and foreign governments to ensure that standards and allows for variances to meet local growing conditions.

Finally, the Safe FEAST Act would grant FDA authority to access food safety production records during emergencies and deny importation of goods if strict food safety standards are not met and directs the agency to adopt a risk-based approach to inspections, giving greater scrutiny to facilities posing greater risk.

TK: This is most of what the FDA is looking for, from what I can see. Also, expect favorable industry reaction to this proposed legislation; the GMA has already issued this statement:

The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) today issued the following statement from GMA President and CEO Cal Dooley regarding Congressman Jim Costa’s (D-CA) and Congressman Adam H. Putnam’s (R-FL) bipartisan Safe FEAST Act of 2008 proposal to improve, modernize and strengthen our nation’s food safety system.

“Steadily increasing food imports and changing consumer preferences pose new challenges for our nation's food safety net,” said Dooley. “The bill proposed today by Reps. Costa and Putnam will place significant new mandates on the food industry, including new produce safety standards.

“The food industry is already making significant investments to ensure the safety of food, and welcomes a stronger and more effective government oversight role, as proposed by Congressmen Costa and Putnam. Under this proposal, industry will continue to invest in food safety, and the federal government will serve as our partner, looking over our shoulder to make sure we do things right. Increasing the strength of the public-private food safety partnership is the best way to improve our nation’s food safety net and bolster consumer confidence in the safety and security of the food supply. We look forward to working with Congress to craft food safety legislation that can be passed into law this year.”

Costa, Putnam to introduce food safety bill Wednesday

Food safety legislation will be introduced tomorrow by two industry allies in Congress. From an email from Costa's office:

U.S. Representatives Jim Costa (D-Calif.), a member of the Committee on Agriculture and Adam Putnam (R-Fla.) chairman of the House Republican Conference will brief reporters on the Safe FEAST Act, food safety legislation they will introduce Wednesday (April 22).

Nearly 25,000 cases of food-borne illness were reported in the United States during 2006. To protect the food supply and consumer confidence, the Safe FEAST Act (Safe Food Enforcement, Assessment, Standards and Targeting Act) will establish new mandatory food safety requirements to identify and prevent potential sources of food-borne illness

House Farm Bill Conferees named (finally)

We are down to the last week of farm bill negotiations before the April 18 deadline, and House Speaker Pelosi finally gave the green light to name House conferees. From the office of Chairman Peterson, chair of the House Ag Committee:

Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson today announced the list of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives to participate in the conference committee that will negotiate the 2008 Farm Bill.

"The Members serving on this conference committee have a challenging job as we work to come to an agreement that will move the Farm Bill forward," Chairman Peterson said. "I'm confident that if everyone comes to the table willing to negotiate and compromise, we
can pass a new Farm Bill that will expand important nutrition and conservation programs and provide new resources for fruit and vegetable producers and renewable energy programs while improving the farm safety net."

The Democratic Members of Congress selected to serve on the conference committee are:
From the Agriculture Committee:
Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin C. Peterson of Minnesota
Congressman Tim Holden of Pennsylvania
Congressman Mike McIntyre of North Carolina
Congressman Bob Etheridge of North Carolina
Congressman Leonard Boswell of Iowa
Congressman Joe Baca of California
Congressman Dennis Cardoza of California
Congressman David Scott of Georgia

Conferees on Farm Bill provisions with jurisdiction beyond the Agriculture Committee:
Congressman George Miller of California (Education and Labor)
Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy of New York (Education and Labor)
Congressman John Dingell of Michigan (Energy and Commerce)
Congressman Frank Pallone of New Jersey (Energy and Commerce)
Congressman Paul Kanjorski of Pennsylvania (Financial Services)
Congresswoman Maxine Waters of California (Financial Services)
Congressman Howard Berman of California (Foreign Affairs)
Congressman Brad Sherman of California (Foreign Affairs)
Congressman John Conyers of Michigan (Judiciary)
Congressman Bobby Scott of Virginia (Judiciary)
Congressman Nick Rahall of West Virginia (Natural Resources)
Delegate Madeline Bordallo of Guam (Natural Resources)
Congressman Henry Waxman of California (Oversight and Government Reform)
Congressman Edolphus Towns of New York (Oversight and Government Reform)
Congressman Bart Gordon of Tennessee (Science and Technology)
Congressman Nick Lampson of Texas (Science and Technology)
Congresswoman Nydia Velasquez of New York (Small Business)
Congressman Heath Shuler of North Carolina (Small Business)
Congressman Jim Oberstar of Minnesota (Transportation and Infrastructure)
Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton of the District of Columbia (Transportation and Infrastructure)
Congressman Charles Rangel of New York (Ways and Means)
Congressman Earl Pomeroy of North Dakota (Ways and Means)

The Republican Members of Congress selected to serve on the conference committee are:
From the Agriculture Committee:
Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Bob Goodlatte of Virginia
Congressman Frank Lucas of Oklahoma
Congressman Jerry Moran of Kansas
Congressman Robin Hayes of North Carolina
Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave of Colorado
Congressman Randy Neugebauer of Texas

Conferees on Farm Bill provisions with jurisdiction beyond the Agriculture Committee:
Congressman Todd Platts of Pennsylvania (Education and Labor)
Congressman Joe Barton of Texas (Energy and Commerce)
Congressman Spencer Bachus of Alabama (Financial Services)
Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida (Foreign Affairs)
Congressman Lamar Smith of Texas (Judiciary)
Congresswoman Cathy McMorris-Rodgers of Washington (Natural Resources)
Congressman Jim Jordan of Ohio (Oversight and Government Reform)
Congressman Michael McCaul of Texas (Science and Technology)
Congressman Steve Chabot of Ohio (Small Business)
Congressman Sam Graves of Missouri (Transportation and Infrastructure)
Congressman Jim McCrery of Louisiana (Ways and Means)

The Members of Congress selected from Leadership to serve on the conference committee are:
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut
Congressman Adam Putnam of Florida

Rep. Adam Putnam on IFAS

Don't do it - don't give up on Florida agriculture.
News item: From the March 13 Tampa Tribune:

U.F. President J. Bernard Machen has proposed budget cuts totaling $25 million. That cut is expected to eliminate 200 to 300 IFAS faculty members, consolidate educational programs and close or severely cut county extension offices.

From the office of Rep. Adam Putnam:

Talk to anyone involved in Florida agriculture these days and you will hear about the recent controversy over the future of the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS). I think this debate offers a unique opportunity to review the role of research and technology transfer in our state and what one of the oldest industries in Florida can contribute in the 21st century. As one of my professors used to say, “This offers a teaching moment.” This is really about the future of innovation in Florida and how UF can continue to play a unique and increasingly important leadership role for the entire state.

To fully appreciate what’s at stake, some context is in order. UF/IFAS traces its roots back to the Morrill Act of 1862 which first established the Land Grant universities. The bold idea embodied in this legislation was that access to higher education – which had been the exclusive province of the elites – was essential to the success of American democracy. Toward that end, the legislation directed money from the sale of public lands to endow at least one public university in each state to “teach such branches of learning as are related to agriculture and mechanic arts,” without excluding scientific, classical and military studies.

When he signed the Morrill Act into law, President Lincoln said, “The land grant university system is being built on behalf of the people who have invested in these public institutions their hopes, their support and their confidence.”

The Land Grant system has been likened to a three legged stool: teaching, research and extension. It educates students, creates opportunities for high level research, and then extends that research back to the community at large.

Agriculture is an obvious focus of much of this effort. The profound impact of Land Grant university research is undeniable. In America today approximately 1.5 percent of the population is able to feed the other 98.5 percent. That’s an incredible accomplishment – especially when placed in comparison to other nations around the world. What other industry can claim such efficiency?

It is research and the transfer of research-based knowledge that drives not only our stunning improvements in agricultural productivity but also improvements on a wide array of practical matters. The knowledge transfer through the university extension system is the ticket to greater consumer education about green energy, nutrition, homeownership, food safety, water conservation and even growth management.

In Florida, although we are a rapidly growing state, it would be a mistake to think that agriculture is of declining significance. Just a few weeks ago UF/IFAS released a new study that shows that even as the economy generally shows signs of weakening, the sectors of Florida’s economy related to natural resources and agriculture continue to thrive. In fact, these sectors of Florida’s economy represent a $100 billion value-added impact on Florida’s economy.

The UF researchers also noted that these industries manage two-thirds of Florida’s land area, “land that is critical to water supplies, water quality, pollution abatement, erosion control, shoreline protection, carbon sequestration and climate stabilization, wildlife habitat and outdoor recreation.”

In short, the research UF/IFAS engages in and shares directly impacts all Floridians. And that is true to the vision of Lincoln, even if he couldn’t begin to imagine the specific kinds of research done today.

The Land Grant vision is directly responsible for transferring technology from the microscope to the field, from the beaker to the gas pump and from the lab bench to the dinner table.

Beyond agricultural research is the extending of that knowledge to the community at large. UF/IFAS has extension offices in each of Florida’s 67 counties, including 13 research and education centers. That’s access to and presence in the broader state community that any university system would covet. It is mind boggling to think that university leadership would consider scaling this back disproportionately.

The challenge for those who are involved in this profound technology transfer – both the providers and the recipients – is to speak up and remind the population at large and our legislative and educational leaders of both the legacy and opportunity embodied in the Land Grant mission. It is essential both to UF and the state that there is broad recognition that the Land Grant mission is the pathway to renown as a research institution, not an impediment.

Bringing home the orange juice

There is much good for Florida in the latest spending bill, says Rep. Adam Putnam, R-Fla. From the office of Adam Putnam:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Florida agriculture will benefit from new legislation passed this week, said Congressman Adam H. Putnam (R-Fla.), who worked to include the provisions.

“This session of Congress was very hectic at the end, and it was very touch and go for awhile, but it turned out to be a pretty good year for Florida agricultural research”, said Putnam. The benefits are in two bills Congress passed this week, the omnibus spending bill and energy legislation. The spending bill includes the following provisions:

Citrus Health Response Plan: The $35 million program will provide means for enhanced, control, detection, and survey, in addition to identifying minimum production standards to enhance the industry’s ability to produce fruit suitable for trade, protect the integrity of the citrus nursery certification program, and provide a mechanism by which citrus pests and diseases do not spread to other citrus-producing States.

Citrus Canker/Greening Research: $1.3 million will go toward the critical continuation and expansion of vital Citrus Canker and Greening research by the University of Florida (UF) Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences (IFAS), through the Cooperative State Research Extension and Education Service (CSREES), to improve technologies for treatment and detection, methods of movement and containment, and means to control and eliminate these devastating diseases.

Citrus Waste Utilization: A research program to develop bioenergy from renewable sources such as citrus waste received $393,000.

Florida Renewable Energy Program: the University of Florida’s Florida Center for Renewable Chemicals and Fuel received $750,000 to advance the development of new alternative energy technologies.

In addition, the energy bill, which was signed into law earlier this week, includes a Renewable Fuel Standard that requires the annual use of a certain volume of renewables in transportation fuel. By 2022, 16 billion gallons would come from cellulosic biofuels, including those made from Florida-based feed-stock.

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.

H.R. 1600 Eat Healthy America!

The industry has more than a few friends in the House of Representatives. The Eat Healthy America Act was introduced March 20 by Rep. Dennis Cardoza and 64 co-sponsors, "to continue and expand upon previous congressional efforts to ensure an abundant and affordable supply of fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, and other specialty crops for American consumers and international markets, to enhance the competitiveness of United States-grown specialty crops, and for other purposes.."
From govtrack.us
Sponsor:
Rep. Dennis Cardoza [D-CA]
Cosponsors
Rep. Thomas Allen [D-ME]
Rep. Michael Arcuri [D-NY]
Rep. John Barrow [D-GA]
Rep. Roscoe Bartlett [R-MD]
Rep. Earl Blumenauer [D-OR]
Rep. Mary Bono [R-CA]
Rep. Allen Boyd [D-FL]
Rep. Henry Brown [R-SC]
Rep. Ken Calvert [R-CA]
Rep. Lois Capps [D-CA]
Rep. Russ Carnahan [D-MO]
Rep. Jim Costa [D-CA]
Rep. Joe Courtney [D-CT]
Rep. Henry Cuellar [D-TX]
Rep. Elijah Cummings [D-MD]
Rep. William Delahunt [D-MA]
Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart [R-FL]
Rep. Thelma Drake [R-VA]
Rep. Sam Farr [D-CA]
Rep. Bob Filner [D-CA]
Rep. Wayne Gilchrest [R-MD]
Rep. John Hall [D-NY]
Rep. Doc Hastings [R-WA]
Rep. Brian Higgins [D-NY]
Rep. Maurice Hinchey [D-NY]
Rep. Mazie Hirono [D-HI]
Rep. Peter Hoekstra [R-MI]
Rep. Darlene Hooley [D-OR]
Rep. Darrell Issa [R-CA]
Rep. Marcy Kaptur [D-OH]
Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick [D-MI]
Rep. John Kuhl [R-NY]
Rep. Rick Larsen [D-WA]
Rep. Zoe Lofgren [D-CA]
Rep. Daniel Lungren [R-CA]
Rep. Tim Mahoney [D-FL]
Rep. Doris Matsui [D-CA]
Rep. Kevin McCarthy [R-CA]
Rep. James McDermott [D-WA]
Rep. John McHugh [R-NY]
Rep. Mike McIntyre [D-NC]
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers [R-WA]
Rep. Jerry McNerney [D-CA]
Rep. Devin Nunes [R-CA]
Rep. Ed Perlmutter [D-CO]
Rep. Todd Platts [R-PA]
Rep. Adam Putnam [R-FL]
Rep. George Radanovich [R-CA]
Rep. Thomas Reynolds [R-NY]
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen [R-FL]
Rep. Bobby Rush [D-IL]
Rep. John Salazar [D-CO]
Rep. Loretta Sanchez [D-CA]
Rep. Christopher Shays [R-CT]
Rep. Heath Shuler [D-NC]
Rep. Michael Simpson [R-ID]
Rep. Louise Slaughter [D-NY]
Rep. Ellen Tauscher [D-CA]
Rep. Michael Thompson [D-CA]
Rep. Greg Walden [R-OR]
Rep. James Walsh [R-NY]
Rep. Peter Welch [D-VT]
Rep. Lynn Woolsey [D-CA]
Rep. David Wu [D-OR]

Best case scenario

What the industry would like to be the produce title of the farm bill has been unveiled. Here is the link to the United press release on the EAT Healthy America Act.

An excerpt:

United Fresh Produce Association endorsed the Equitable Agriculture Today for a Healthy America Act (EAT Healthy America Act), which was introduced Tuesday morning by U.S. Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), Randy Kuhl (R-NY), Rep. John Salazar (D-CO), Rep. Adam Putnam (R-FL), Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA), and Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and included numerous co-sponsors.
United Fresh, which serves on the Steering Committee of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA), helped develop a series of farm bill priorities found in the EAT Healthy America Act. The SCFBA is a national coalition of more than 100 specialty crop organizations, working to forge mutual objectives for the 2007 Farm Bill and to assure a common platform across regions, commodities and other interests.


TK: One of the most impressive parts of the process has been the ongoing work of the specialty crop farm bill alliance. We will see how the Senate version differs from the House, but the EAT Healthy America Act is an appropriately ambitious bill that benchmarks the industry's best hopes for the 2007 farm bill.

Coming closer

A staff member for Congressman Dennis Cardoza, D-Calif., said the EAT Healthy America Act - the specialty crop title to the farm bill - may be reintroduced sometime early next week. The bill was first introduced in September of last year, but expect some tweaks and adjustments based on input from the specialty crop farm bill alliance.

Cardoza will be one of six original co-sponsors; here are the rest:

John T. Salazar (D-CO)
Adam Putnam (R-FL)
Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)
Rick Larsen (D-WA)
Randy Kuhl (R-NY)


Meanwhile, the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance has released a news release about the Informa Economics study on planting flexibility provisions in the farm bill.
From the release:

The report, which looks at a wide range of states and specialty crop commodities, concludes that removing the planting restrictions would result in a realignment of market forces that have long influenced the total supply of specialty crops. That realignment would increase the supply of fruits and vegetables and result in a reduction of income to those growers in excess of $3 billion. “It is clear that a larger supply without a corresponding increase in demand will lead to dramatically lower prices—and a direct reduction in revenues of existing specialty crop producers,” stated John Keeling, Executive Vice President & CEO, National Potato Council and Co-Chair of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance.

According to the report, removing the planting restrictions will result in a shift of 1.03 million acres into production of specialty crops. This is a small shift in the more than 220 million acres of program crops but represents a 10% increase in total specialty crop acreage. The 15 states where the greatest expansion of acreage is expected alone account for about 88% of the new specialty crop acreage. Other Key observations include:

The biggest jump in acreage would occur in California, which already has a large, diverse specialty crop industry. More than 230,000 acres – mainly from cotton and rice – are likely to shift to specialty crops.
Idaho and Colorado would see the largest percentage increase in specialty crop acreage. Potatoes are likely to dominate the acreage shifts in Idaho, Washington and North Dakota.
Relatively little expansion of specialty crop acreage is expected in most Corn Belt states, reflecting the competitive dominance of program crops and limited existing specialty crop acreage and infrastructure.
Along with potatoes, crops that could increase 10 percent or more in acreage include peas, pears, sweet corn, apples, onions, cabbage, snap beans, berries, cherries, pumpkins, asparagus, cucumbers and squash.

For the full report, see this Web site: www.competitiveagriculture.org.