House panel airs concerns about specialty crop issues
House panel airs concerns about specialty crop issues
WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration's farm bill proposal that would pump a wide array of expanded marketing and research funds into specialty crops got its first airing at a Feb. 28 hearing before a U.S. House Agriculture subcommittee.
At the hearing, members of Congress raised concerns plaguing their districts' specialty crop growers, from needing help in combating foreign crop pests to the potentially high cost of lifting planting restrictions to comply with World Trade Organization rules.
"This farm bill will not be an easy one," said U.S. Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), the new chairman of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Horticulture & Organic Agriculture.
Congressional committees will be under tight budgetary restrictions that will guide lawmakers in writing a farm bill this year.
Chuck Connor, deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, mapped out USDA's wish list for key programs: $7.8 billion over 10 years for conservation programs; $68 million for the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops program; $250 million over 10 years for the Market Access Program; another $2.75 billion for buying fruits and vegetables under Section 32; and $1 billion over 10 years to create a Specialty Crop Research Initiative.
U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney (D-FL) said that he hopes research funds could go to help the citrus industry struggling with citrus canker and the potentially devastating threat of citrus greening.
"We are aware of what the Florida citrus industry is facing with canker," said Mr. Connor, adding that citrus greening would pose a major threat to a very large industry, and that combating these pests would receive federal research dollars under the farm bill.
U.S. Rep. Randy Nuegebauer (R-TX) urged USDA to consult with the specialty crop industry in deciding how to divvy up research funds.
Reps. Mahoney and Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) raised concerns about effectiveness of border patrols to catch foreign pests, in part because of the lack of coordination between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the USDA plant pest inspectors.
Mr. Cardoza said that he supports moving pest and animal disease inspectors back to USDA -- a proposal supported by the United Fresh Produce Association.
"We'll continue to monitor that closely," said Mr. Connor. But he said USDA was not considering any change in border patrol policy.
Rep. McCarthy raised the issue about the potential cost to specialty crop producers of lifting the planting restrictions to adhere to a WTO decision, saying that a California study estimates an enormous setback for growers. "We feel strongly that we must correct this WTO problem," said the USDA deputy secretary, adding that ignoring it will threaten other WTO obligations and hurt growers in the long run.
A new report about the impact to food production of declining bee populations, which Mr. Cardoza said he planned to hold a hearing on in the near future, should be on USDA's research agenda, he said.
"I first became award of the issue last week," said Mr. Connor, stressing that USDA will play a significant role in advancing research.
Many questions focused on USDA's role in creating a lucrative market for cellulosic ethanol, an alternative fuel derived from refined specialty crop wastes and other cellulosic biomass feedstocks.
The farm bill would add $100 million in direct support to producers of cellulosic ethanol, along with funding for basic research and capital grants to help companies build plants.
"We've created a viable corn industry," he said. "The corn industry is thriving and doesn't need our help." Now all the attention will be on building a market for cellulosic ethanol, he said.
At the hearing, members of Congress raised concerns plaguing their districts' specialty crop growers, from needing help in combating foreign crop pests to the potentially high cost of lifting planting restrictions to comply with World Trade Organization rules.
"This farm bill will not be an easy one," said U.S. Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), the new chairman of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Horticulture & Organic Agriculture.
Congressional committees will be under tight budgetary restrictions that will guide lawmakers in writing a farm bill this year.
Chuck Connor, deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, mapped out USDA's wish list for key programs: $7.8 billion over 10 years for conservation programs; $68 million for the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops program; $250 million over 10 years for the Market Access Program; another $2.75 billion for buying fruits and vegetables under Section 32; and $1 billion over 10 years to create a Specialty Crop Research Initiative.
U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney (D-FL) said that he hopes research funds could go to help the citrus industry struggling with citrus canker and the potentially devastating threat of citrus greening.
"We are aware of what the Florida citrus industry is facing with canker," said Mr. Connor, adding that citrus greening would pose a major threat to a very large industry, and that combating these pests would receive federal research dollars under the farm bill.
U.S. Rep. Randy Nuegebauer (R-TX) urged USDA to consult with the specialty crop industry in deciding how to divvy up research funds.
Reps. Mahoney and Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) raised concerns about effectiveness of border patrols to catch foreign pests, in part because of the lack of coordination between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the USDA plant pest inspectors.
Mr. Cardoza said that he supports moving pest and animal disease inspectors back to USDA -- a proposal supported by the United Fresh Produce Association.
"We'll continue to monitor that closely," said Mr. Connor. But he said USDA was not considering any change in border patrol policy.
Rep. McCarthy raised the issue about the potential cost to specialty crop producers of lifting the planting restrictions to adhere to a WTO decision, saying that a California study estimates an enormous setback for growers. "We feel strongly that we must correct this WTO problem," said the USDA deputy secretary, adding that ignoring it will threaten other WTO obligations and hurt growers in the long run.
A new report about the impact to food production of declining bee populations, which Mr. Cardoza said he planned to hold a hearing on in the near future, should be on USDA's research agenda, he said.
"I first became award of the issue last week," said Mr. Connor, stressing that USDA will play a significant role in advancing research.
Many questions focused on USDA's role in creating a lucrative market for cellulosic ethanol, an alternative fuel derived from refined specialty crop wastes and other cellulosic biomass feedstocks.
The farm bill would add $100 million in direct support to producers of cellulosic ethanol, along with funding for basic research and capital grants to help companies build plants.
"We've created a viable corn industry," he said. "The corn industry is thriving and doesn't need our help." Now all the attention will be on building a market for cellulosic ethanol, he said.
