8. Discussing topics dealing with organic crops.
Johanns Highlights USDA's 2007 Farm Bill Proposals
for Specialty Crops
Proposes $5 Billion in Additional Targeted Funding
CHICAGO, IL, May 7, 2007 - Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns today
highlighted the array of changes put forward in the Administration's farm bill
proposals that would benefit specialty crop growers. In a speech to the Organic
Trade Association and the United Fresh Produce Association the Secretary called
the proposals clear evidence of the Administration's commitment to equitable
farm policy.
"We
listened when producers told us that farm policy should distribute support more
equitably. Specialty crops are now nearly equal in market value to program
crops, yet these producers receive no direct cash support," said Johanns.
"Specialty crop producers made it clear they don't want a cash subsidy,
but they would like additional support to address market promotion, sanitary
and phytosanitary issues, nutrition, and targeted research. Our proposals
provide that support with nearly $5 billion dollars worth of additional funding
targeted toward specialty crop growers."
The
proposal includes an additional $2.75 billion in Section 32 funds over 10 years
to specifically purchase fruits and vegetables for USDA nutrition programs,
including the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs.
The
following is a list of additional components of the specialty crops package:
Trade Title
The Market
Access Program (MAP) has shown to be effective at expanding markets for U.S.
agricultural products. While specialty crops are already a significant user of
this program, USDA proposes new mandatory funding of $250 million over ten
years to help address the inequity between crops that are directly subsidized
and those commodities that are not directly subsidized.
The
Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops (TASC) program awards grants to
applicants for projects that result in market access expansion for specialty
crops. USDA proposes enhanced mandatory funds of $68 million that would be
phased in through FY 2013. The proposal would also increase the maximum
allowable annual project award from $250,000 to $500,000 and allow more
flexibility to grant TASC project timeline extensions.
Increase
support for initiatives that help to address sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS)
issues and other trade restrictions including:
- Create
a new grant program investing $20 million to further focus resources on addressing
international SPS issues.
-
Establish long-term mandatory funding of $15 million to increase U.S. presence
at international standard-setting bodies, such as the Codex Alimentarius, the
International Plant Protection Convention, and the World Animal Health
Organization.
- Enhance
monitoring, analytical support, and other technical assistance to support U.S.
agriculture in bringing forward or responding to significant trade disputes and
challenges. U.S. specialty crop exports are sometimes threatened by trademark
piracy in international markets and USDA technical assistance could help to
address these challenges.
Nutrition Title
Provide
$500 million in new mandatory funding for the purchase of additional fruits and
vegetables for use in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs.
Establish
a new five-year $20 million competitive grant program address the growing
problem of obesity among low-income Americans.
Support
school efforts to offer meals based on the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans,
including the encouragement of the increased consumption of fruits and
vegetables.
Reauthorize
the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and provide more fruits and
vegetables within the program.
Commodity Programs Title
To ensure
that direct payments will be considered non-trade distorting green box
assistance, the Administration proposes that the provision of the 2002 farm
bill that limits planting flexibility on base acres to exclude fruits,
vegetables, and wild rice, should be eliminated.
Conservation Title
Enhance
several conservation programs that assist specialty crop producers in managing
natural resources. These include: significant increases to the Wetlands Reserve
Program, Environmental Quality Incentives Program, and the Private Lands
Protection Program.
Rural Development Title
Prioritize
consideration of project applications that involve specialty crops in the Rural
Development Value-added Grants awards-process.
Energy Title
Initiate
a new, temporary program to provide $100 million in direct support to producers
of cellulosic ethanol. Eligibility for this program would be restricted to
specialty crop wastes and other cellulosic biomass feedstocks.
Research Title
Invest $1
billion over 10 years to establish a Specialty Crop Research Initiative to
provide science-based tools that address needs of specific crops and regions
and which continue advancements in productivity and technology.
9 Breaking
News on Supplements & Nutrition - North America
USDA
highlights farm bill proposals for specialty crops
By Lorraine Heller
NutraIngredients-USA.com
5/14/2007- US Agriculture
secretary Mike Johanns last week presented industry representatives with
details of changes to the administration's
2007 farm bill, which
provide an additional $5bn to address issues such as nutrition and obesity.
In a speech to the
Organic Trade Association (OTA) and the United Fresh
Produce Association,
Johanns called the proposals clear evidence of
commitment to equitable
farm policy.
"We listened when
producers told us that farm policy should distribute
support more equitably.
Specialty crops are now nearly equal in market
value to program crops,
yet these producers receive no direct cash support,"said Johanns.
"Specialty crop
producers made it clear they don't want a cash subsidy,
but they would like
additional support to address market promotion, sanitary
and phytosanitary issues,
nutrition, and targeted research. Our proposals
provide that support with
nearly $5bn worth of additional funding
targeted toward specialty
crop growers."
The proposal includes an
additional $2.75bn funds over ten years,
specifically for
purchasing fruits and vegetables for US Department of
Agriculture (USDA)
nutrition programs, including the National School
Lunch and Breakfast
Programs. Some $500m has been allocated, in mandatory funding, to the purchase
of additional fruits and vegetables for these programs. This is part of an
effort to help schools offer meals based on the most recent Dietary Guidelines
for Americans.
In addition, a new
five-year $20m competitive grant program is designed
to address the growing
problem of obesity among low-income Americans.
Regulated by the USDA and
renewed every five to six years, farm bills
are a collection of laws
that set the overall direction of the nation's agriculture.
The legislation set out
in a farm bill aims to provide a safe and
affordable supply of food
through programs that promote US agriculture. The bills
typically contain
provisions for commodity prices, agricultural trade and crop insurance, amongst
others.
Other proposals
highlighted by Johanns last week include establishing
long-term mandatory
funding of $15m to increase US presence at
international
standard-setting bodies, such as the Codex Alimentarius, the
International Plant
Protection Convention, and the World Animal Health Organization.
The bill also aims to
enhance monitoring, analytical support, and other
technical assistance in
order to support US agriculture by bringing
forward or responding to
significant trade disputes and challenges. According to
USDA, US specialty crop
exports are sometimes threatened by trademark
piracy in international
markets and the agency's technical assistance could
help to address these
challenges.
USDA also plans to invest
$1bn over ten years to establish a Specialty
Crop
Research Initiative. This
will provide science-based tools that address
the needs of specific
crops and regions and which continue advancements in
productivity and
technology.
Johanns also said that in
terms of trade, the Market Access Program
(MAP)
has proved effective at
expanding markets for US agricultural products.
While specialty crops are
already significantly involved in this
program, USDA proposes
new mandatory funding of $250 million over ten years to
help address the inequity
between crops that are directly subsidized and
those commodities that
are not directly subsidized.
The 2007 farm bill aims
to create a market-oriented farm program,
considering more than
commodity prices alone when determining the
appropriate level of
government support.
The new bill proposes to
spend around $10bn less than the 2002 farm
bill, with the largest
single slice of the budget ($7.8bn) going towards
increasing conservation
programs that protect the natural environment.
The new farm bill also
proposes to: focus on renewable energy research,
development and
production; support start-up farmers and socially
disadvantaged farmers;
strengthen disaster relief; and simplify and
consolidate rural
development programs.
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