House committee floats weak farm bill, say specialty crop producers
House committee floats weak farm bill, say specialty crop producers
WASHINGTON -- With specialty crop producers still reeling from the disappointing collapse of immigration reform, now comes news that a draft farm bill slated for markup this month appears not to deliver on promised money or priorities.
The farm bill's funding levels fall far short for specialty crop programs, and this is particularly disturbing since specialty crops represent more than half of the cash receipts for crops in this country, according to Robert Guenther of United Fresh Produce Association, based here. Specialty crop producers are still getting less than 1 percent of the overall funding in the bill, he said.
The bottom line is that the House Agriculture Committee is working under a tight budget, and committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-MN) favors continuing the bill's focus of traditional direct payment to program crops. "We understood the committee's dilemma," Mr. Guenther said, but there needs to be a more equitable bill.
Mr. Guenther, who was scheduled to meet with the committee chairman July 11 to voice concerns, said that there is no real driving force for reform. Meanwhile, the American Farm Bureau Federation praised the farm bill proposal, saying that it continues to provide a strong safety net for producers while continuing the money for conservation, rural development, nutrition and energy programs.
But the draft bill, which is scheduled to be marked up the week of July 16, fails to fund the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance's top priorities: nutrition, pest and disease programs, trade, conservation and agricultural research.
It would fund specialty crop block grants only at $40 million in fiscal 2008 to $75 million in fiscal 2012. The good news is that the bill would earmark mandatory funding, an advantage over lobbying each year for the program to be funded in the appropriations process.
While there are increases in funding for the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops Program, which helps U.S. organizations address sanitary, phytosanitary and technical barriers that keep them from exporting to certain other countries, there is no funding for the fresh fruit and vegetable school snack program.
The bill's priorities do not stray far from farm bills offered over the past decades, said Mr. Guenther.
In the meantime, the alliance is focusing attention on other members of the House who may offer amendments when the farm bill goes to the House floor, and on the Senate bill, which has yet to be acted upon in the Senate Agriculture Committee. Sources say that bill may not come up until after the August recess.
As the dust settles on the demise of immigration reform, advocates are looking for an avenue to push AgJOBS so the farm bill may be one opportunity.
"Now that the immigration bill has gone down, I believe the next step has to be AgJOBS. And this legislation should be moved before any other immigration-related legislation," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA).
However, experts say that the wounds may be too raw for Congress to touch agricultural worker reform in the near term. If the farm bill gets put off to the end of 2007 or early 2008, Congress may have the stomach to do it, said one source. It could be wrapped into an "immigration reform lite" that would cover some of the more palatable provisions.
Two issues that are likely to surface this year in the farm bill are country-of- origin labeling and food-safety reforms as Congress becomes more frustrated with the latest China recalls.
The farm bill's funding levels fall far short for specialty crop programs, and this is particularly disturbing since specialty crops represent more than half of the cash receipts for crops in this country, according to Robert Guenther of United Fresh Produce Association, based here. Specialty crop producers are still getting less than 1 percent of the overall funding in the bill, he said.
The bottom line is that the House Agriculture Committee is working under a tight budget, and committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-MN) favors continuing the bill's focus of traditional direct payment to program crops. "We understood the committee's dilemma," Mr. Guenther said, but there needs to be a more equitable bill.
Mr. Guenther, who was scheduled to meet with the committee chairman July 11 to voice concerns, said that there is no real driving force for reform. Meanwhile, the American Farm Bureau Federation praised the farm bill proposal, saying that it continues to provide a strong safety net for producers while continuing the money for conservation, rural development, nutrition and energy programs.
But the draft bill, which is scheduled to be marked up the week of July 16, fails to fund the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance's top priorities: nutrition, pest and disease programs, trade, conservation and agricultural research.
It would fund specialty crop block grants only at $40 million in fiscal 2008 to $75 million in fiscal 2012. The good news is that the bill would earmark mandatory funding, an advantage over lobbying each year for the program to be funded in the appropriations process.
While there are increases in funding for the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops Program, which helps U.S. organizations address sanitary, phytosanitary and technical barriers that keep them from exporting to certain other countries, there is no funding for the fresh fruit and vegetable school snack program.
The bill's priorities do not stray far from farm bills offered over the past decades, said Mr. Guenther.
In the meantime, the alliance is focusing attention on other members of the House who may offer amendments when the farm bill goes to the House floor, and on the Senate bill, which has yet to be acted upon in the Senate Agriculture Committee. Sources say that bill may not come up until after the August recess.
As the dust settles on the demise of immigration reform, advocates are looking for an avenue to push AgJOBS so the farm bill may be one opportunity.
"Now that the immigration bill has gone down, I believe the next step has to be AgJOBS. And this legislation should be moved before any other immigration-related legislation," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA).
However, experts say that the wounds may be too raw for Congress to touch agricultural worker reform in the near term. If the farm bill gets put off to the end of 2007 or early 2008, Congress may have the stomach to do it, said one source. It could be wrapped into an "immigration reform lite" that would cover some of the more palatable provisions.
Two issues that are likely to surface this year in the farm bill are country-of- origin labeling and food-safety reforms as Congress becomes more frustrated with the latest China recalls.
