Commenting on the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006 passed May 25 by the U.S. Senate, Walter Kates, FFVA director, Labor Relations Division, said timing will be an important factor in determining whether a final bill is crafted. “The longer it takes in conference negotiations, the less likely Congress will produce a final bill in an election year,” he said. That bill, and a House version will go to Conference Committee soon for negotiations leading to a final version to be presented to the president.

Included in the Senate bill were provisions for a more workable guest worker program. The House version contains no guest worker provisions, instead focusing more on enforcement.

The Senate version, however, is similar to the House bill in that they both contain a provision mandating electronic verification of workers’ legal status.

FLORIDA KIDS MAY RECEIVE FREE FRUIT AND VEGETABLES AT SCHOOL

Florida may be included in the USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program, if the FY07 Agriculture Appropriations bill passed by the House of Representatives last week becomes law. The $25 million appropriation would mean that school children in all 50 states and Indian reservations would benefit from the program, which provides daily snacks of fresh fruits and vegetables. Currently, the program is only offered in 14 states and three reservations.

H.R. 5384 also included $15.6 million for a specialty crop block grants program. The bill now goes to the Senate.

FFVA PRESIDENT PUSHES FOR CONTINUED PROTECTION OF U.S. FRUITS AND VEGETABLES FROM FOREIGN PESTS AND DISEASE

At a public hearing held Friday (May 26) in Miami, FFVA President Mike Stuart questioned USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) officials about APHIS’ proposal to revise its fruit and vegetable import regulations. Stuart was the only member of the agriculture industry to testify.

The proposal would consolidate the general provisions of fruit and vegetable import requirements into one section of the regulations, and then specify individual commodity provisions. The proposal also would establish a notice-based process to allow APHIS to approve certain, new petitions without going through the rulemaking process, as is currently required. This, it is argued, would expedite the import petition process, which, in turn, may facilitate the export of U.S. agricultural commodities.

“We support efforts to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of APHIS in accomplishing its mission. But, with the pest and disease challenges Florida producers have faced over the past decade, we cannot afford to see our safeguarding systems eroded,” Stuart said. “This proposal must be consistent with APHIS’s mission, and not be in conflict with it. In this case, speed is a virtue only if the quality of the safeguarding process is enhanced,” he concluded.

UNHEALTHY DIET AS BAD FOR HEALTH AS CIGARETTE SMOKING SAYS DUTCH STUDY

A report published May 29 by the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment says an unhealthy diet may harm one's health as much as smoking cigarettes. Of all dietary factors, the report says that insufficient consumption of fish, fruit and vegetables currently causes the most cases of serious illness and death in The Netherlands. Reducing saturated and trans fatty acid uptake and increasing fish, fruit and vegetables consumption could save many lives, the authors say.

The report “Our Food, Our Health: Healthy diet and safe food in The Netherlands,” makes several observations including: a) an unhealthy diet reduces the average life expectancy of Dutch 40-year-olds by 1.2 years, while obesity claims 0.8 years; b) taking into account not just deaths but also years spent living with serious disability, unhealthy dietary habits cause as much health loss as does smoking; and c) current negative trends include decreasing intakes of fruit, vegetables and dietary fiber, already below recommended levels for 75 percent of the population.

-Source: National Institute for Public Health and the Environment/The Netherlands

SIGN-UP UNDERWAY FOR 2005 HURRICANE ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

The sign-up period is well underway for four crop and livestock assistance programs aiding producers affected by the 2005 hurricanes. Additional information about USDA hurricane assistance is available at USDA Service Centers nationwide and by clicking here.