July 22, 2002 

Issue 916

STATE HEARS INPUT ON AG WATER POLICY

COURT EXPEDITES CANKER HEARING

DOC ANNOUNCES PROPOSED LOGO

USDA ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO MEET

IFAS OFERS CITRUS PATHOLOGY COURSE

EXPERTS WILL SHARE INNOVATIONS IN PRODUCE PROMOTION AT FFVA CONVENTION

STATE HEARS INPUT ON AG WATER POLICY

Florida's new agricultural water policy is one step closer to completion. A group of FFVA Members joined more than 100 Florida elected officials, representatives of water management districts and state agencies, university officials and others at Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Bronson's Agricultural Water Summit Monday (July 15) in Marco Island.

"We didn't make any major changes to the original recommendations," said FFVA Director of Government Affairs Butch Calhoun. "Only some of the wording is different."

Recommendations concerned areas such as the availability and allocation of water for agricultural use, Best Management Practices for water conservation and water quality protection, and the need to develop urban and rural partnerships to solve regional water problems.

The process of developing an agricultural water policy began a year ago at a similar summit in Marco Island. The group continued work on the recommendations at a meeting last January in Orlando. They will meet again once the draft is finalized in January 2003.

COURT EXPEDITES CANKER HEARING

Only a day after the Florida Supreme Court refused to hear the legal dispute involving citrus canker eradication methodology, the 4th District Court of Appeals said it would expedite a hearing on the case. The court decided July 12 to give both sides 20 days to file briefs. Agriculture officials are appealing Broward Circuit Judge J. Leonard Fleet's temporary injunction that struck down a law allowing agriculture workers to cut down healthy trees 1,900 feet from those infected with citrus canker. A group that includes Broward and Miami-Dade county governments had sued the state, claiming that the recently passed law was unconstitutional.

DOC ANNOUNCES PROPOSED LOGO

The Florida Department of Citrus unveiled its proposed new logo last week (July 15). If approved, it could replace 12 trademarks the department licenses for various citrus products. Initially, however, the new logo will appear only on 100 percent orange juice products. Citrus Department officials are scheduled to meet with members of the Florida Citrus Processors Association on Sept. 25 to discuss the logo.

USDA ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO MEET

The USDA Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee will meet September 4 in Washington, D.C. The committee, which includes FFVA Board Member Tony DiMare, will discuss USDA programs that encourage increased consumption of fruits and vegetables; a pilot project to increase purchases of fresh produce for domestic feeding programs; a possible inspection fee increase at destination markets; and a review of the market news service.

To submit comments, reserve a seat (seating will be on a first-come basis), or arrange for special accommodations, call Robert C. Keeney at (202) 720-4722.

IFAS OFFERS CITRUS PATHOLOGY COURSE

The University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) will offer a graduate-level citrus pathology course this fall at the Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred. For more information, contact Dr. Ron Brlansky or Dr. K. R. Chung at (863) 956-1151.

EXPERTS WILL SHARE INNOVATIONS IN PRODUCE PROMOTION AT FFVA CONVENTION

Dr. Elizabeth Pivonka, president of the Produce for Better Health Foundation and Timothy O'Connor, president of the National Potato Promotion Board will share their insights on innovations in produce promotions in an educational session at FFVA's 59th Annual Convention.

The Convention is September 22 - 24 at the Ritz-Carlton, Naples. Those wishing to reserve rooms at the Ritz-Carlton should be sure they have done so by August 24. If registering by mail, please do so at least several days ahead of that time, to ensure they are received by the cut-off date. See ffva.com for information and on-line Convention registration.

The Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association

P.O. Box 140155, Orlando, FL 32814

ph: 407 894 1351 • fax: 407 894 7840

www.ffva.com

© 2002 Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association