Kawamura addresses FPFC meeting
Kawamura addresses FPFC meeting
LA MIRADA, CA -- A.G. Kawamura, secretary of the California Department of Food & Agriculture, was the featured speaker Oct. 4 at the Fresh Produce & Floral Council Luncheon meeting, here. A large crowd of produce professionals heard Mr. Kawamura touch upon a myriad of agricultural topics, including the recent spinach crisis and the next farm bill.
Mr. Kawamura called 2006 a year of "outbreaks and heartaches" in California, because the state was also hit hard by flooding early in the year followed by a massive heat wave in early July.
Regarding the recent outbreak of E. coli in spinach, Mr. Kawamura said that it was imperative that the produce industry have a good message mapping plan in order. Saying that the industry has a healthful, fresh product, he added that it is important to be prepared in a crisis to have a message ready and get that message out sooner rather than later.
Talking about the upcoming farm bill, Mr. Kawamura said that more than 50 percent of the bill deals with nutrition, and that the nation's children need to be better served.
"We need to reach more kids," Mr. Kawamura said, adding that there is a large percentage of children who do not take advantage of nutritional programs that are currently available.
Two factors as to why a larger percentage of kids are not involved are the fact that it is a rather complicated process and also the reality that many families don't even know they can qualify for these programs. "We have to get more people involved," he said.
Mr. Kawamura concluded his comments by talking about the numerous international opportunities opening up for the agricultural industry in places like China and India, along with the possibility of produce being used as an energy source in the future.
Mr. Kawamura called 2006 a year of "outbreaks and heartaches" in California, because the state was also hit hard by flooding early in the year followed by a massive heat wave in early July.
Regarding the recent outbreak of E. coli in spinach, Mr. Kawamura said that it was imperative that the produce industry have a good message mapping plan in order. Saying that the industry has a healthful, fresh product, he added that it is important to be prepared in a crisis to have a message ready and get that message out sooner rather than later.
Talking about the upcoming farm bill, Mr. Kawamura said that more than 50 percent of the bill deals with nutrition, and that the nation's children need to be better served.
"We need to reach more kids," Mr. Kawamura said, adding that there is a large percentage of children who do not take advantage of nutritional programs that are currently available.
Two factors as to why a larger percentage of kids are not involved are the fact that it is a rather complicated process and also the reality that many families don't even know they can qualify for these programs. "We have to get more people involved," he said.
Mr. Kawamura concluded his comments by talking about the numerous international opportunities opening up for the agricultural industry in places like China and India, along with the possibility of produce being used as an energy source in the future.
