HOUSE PANEL FOCUSES ON SPECIALTY CROPS IN FARM BILL HEARING

March 5, 2007


HOUSE PANEL FOCUSES ON SPECIALTY CROPS IN FARM BILL HEARING
The House Agriculture Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture met Feb. 28 for a hearing focusing on the Bush administration’s farm bill proposal as it relates to specialty crops and organics. USDA Deputy Secretary Chuck Connor answered questions from subcommittee members about the specialty crop title to the USDA 2007 Farm Bill proposals the agency released on Jan. 31.
Much of the discussion centered on the issue of whether specialty crops could be grown on base acres – land used to calculate federal support. The Bush administration wants to lift current planting restrictions, Conner said, because failure to do so could result in the United States being considered non-compliant with WTO requirements. He said that the administration’s proposal to increase fruit and vegetable purchases under Section 32 would help specialty crop producers offset any negative effects of the action.
Other topics reviewed included those Section 32 purchases, funds for conservation and specialty crop research, the feasibility of APHIS inspectors now under the Department of Homeland Security being moved back to USDA, and trade/phytosanitary issues. The hearing ended with some general agreement, but many unanswered questions remained. Subcommittee Chairman California Rep. Dennis Cardoza told the group that coming up with a new farm bill would not be an easy task.
The subcommittee is one of six House Agriculture subcommittees involved in reauthorization of farm programs in the farm bill.

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