House agriculture chairman says COOL should not be in farm bill
House agriculture chairman says COOL should not be in farm bill
WASHINGTON -- If it were left to U.S. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-MN), there would be little doubt that meat and produce businesses would be complying with the country-of-origin labeling law that goes into effect next year.
Mr. Peterson sent a letter to the meat industry this month, asking all the groups to sit down and draft a workable system for COOL. Meat packers -- leading opponents of the labeling law -- have questioned the cost and workability of the labeling program under the U.S. Department of Agriculture's regulations.
The powerful committee chairman also said at a recent press conference that COOL would not be part of the upcoming farm bill, which he hopes to shepherd to the House floor by the week of July 16. He also said that he opposes bills that would speed up implementation of COOL for produce, meats and peanuts one year before the Sept. 30, 2008, implementation date. In the meantime, specialty crop producers praised U.S. Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), chairman of the newly named Subcommittee on Horticulture & Organic Agriculture, for passing a new farm bill that includes provisions for specialty crop block grants, pest and disease management, food safety and transportation issues.
"This subcommittee was created out of a need to focus more attention on organic agriculture and specialty crops," Mr. Cardoza said in a statement. "I believe we have crafted a thoughtful and responsible subcommittee mark today, which recognizes the needs of these important sectors of American agriculture."
"Fruits and vegetables comprise a significant share of U.S. agriculture, and our farm bill should support them," subcommittee ranking member Randy Neugebauer (R-TX) added in a statement.
The bill would expand specialty crop block programs, double purchases of fruits and vegetables in school lunch and other feeding programs, extend the honey marketing loan program, require research into the honey bee Colony Collapse Disorder, and fund cost-share programs for organic producers, and expand farmers market promotional programs.
The bill also would extend federal marketing orders to include food-safety practices, establish new tools for addressing plant pests and diseases, authorize quality requirements for clementines, and establish uniform maturity requirements for Haas avocados.
Additionally, the bill would move border inspections of imported agricultural products back to the USDA.
But the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance said that the farm bill does not include enough funding - a key component of the industry-backed Equitable Agriculture Today for a Healthy America Act, known as the EAT Healthy America Act.
Working under tight budget rules, the subcommittee has no ready funding for programs that address specialty crop needs, said the group. "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."
The alliance pledged to continue working with Congress to identify funding opportunities for specialty crop producers.
Mr. Peterson sent a letter to the meat industry this month, asking all the groups to sit down and draft a workable system for COOL. Meat packers -- leading opponents of the labeling law -- have questioned the cost and workability of the labeling program under the U.S. Department of Agriculture's regulations.
The powerful committee chairman also said at a recent press conference that COOL would not be part of the upcoming farm bill, which he hopes to shepherd to the House floor by the week of July 16. He also said that he opposes bills that would speed up implementation of COOL for produce, meats and peanuts one year before the Sept. 30, 2008, implementation date. In the meantime, specialty crop producers praised U.S. Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), chairman of the newly named Subcommittee on Horticulture & Organic Agriculture, for passing a new farm bill that includes provisions for specialty crop block grants, pest and disease management, food safety and transportation issues.
"This subcommittee was created out of a need to focus more attention on organic agriculture and specialty crops," Mr. Cardoza said in a statement. "I believe we have crafted a thoughtful and responsible subcommittee mark today, which recognizes the needs of these important sectors of American agriculture."
"Fruits and vegetables comprise a significant share of U.S. agriculture, and our farm bill should support them," subcommittee ranking member Randy Neugebauer (R-TX) added in a statement.
The bill would expand specialty crop block programs, double purchases of fruits and vegetables in school lunch and other feeding programs, extend the honey marketing loan program, require research into the honey bee Colony Collapse Disorder, and fund cost-share programs for organic producers, and expand farmers market promotional programs.
The bill also would extend federal marketing orders to include food-safety practices, establish new tools for addressing plant pests and diseases, authorize quality requirements for clementines, and establish uniform maturity requirements for Haas avocados.
Additionally, the bill would move border inspections of imported agricultural products back to the USDA.
But the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance said that the farm bill does not include enough funding - a key component of the industry-backed Equitable Agriculture Today for a Healthy America Act, known as the EAT Healthy America Act.
Working under tight budget rules, the subcommittee has no ready funding for programs that address specialty crop needs, said the group. "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."
The alliance pledged to continue working with Congress to identify funding opportunities for specialty crop producers.
