Work on the 2007 Farm Bill continues to inch forward with the Senate Finance Committee’s completion of a bill earlier this month that provides about $320 million for specialty crops.

The committee completed its consideration of Chairman Max Baucus’ (D-Mont.) bill dubbed the Heartland, Habitat, Harvest and Horticulture Act of 2007, or the 4-H bill. Approved 17-4, the legislation provides $5.4 billion for conservation programs, $2.1 billion for various agricultural provisions, and $30 million for energy programs. It is expected to be merged with the farm bill soon to be released by the Senate Agriculture Committee.

The Heartland, Habitat, Harvest and Horticulture Act of 2007 would provide $200 million for pest and disease programs that would benefit specialty crop growers.

The legislation also includes $120 million in mandatory funding for the Tree Assistance Program that includes nursery crops and $200 million for pest and disease programs that focus on the specialty crop industry.

The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance praised the Finance Committee for clearing the way to address the priorities of specialty crop growers. “Specialty crop producers are seeking a farm bill that is more equitable for the industry,” the group said in a statement, adding that "the fact that 36 senators – more than a third of the Senate – are urging a significant increase in funding indicates the broad-based support for specialty crops.”

Those 36 senators signed a letter Sept. 19 to Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and ranking member Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) asking them to significantly ramp up funding for specialty crop needs in the legislation. The senators urged committee leaders to double the mandatory funding for specialty crops in the House-passed version of the farm bill to $3.2 billion.

In addition to the funding proposed, the 4-H bill is notable in that it does not include FICA H-2A provisions, which had worried the specialty crop industry in that producers who follow the rules would have been penalized. The Finance Committee had earlier explored the option of eliminating or limiting the tax deduction that some businesses now get for the wages they pay certain temporary foreign workers such as agricultural workers holding H-2A visas.

Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) say they will support carrying the bill forward to the Senate Agriculture Committee and expanding it to include many priorities that would benefit specialty crop growers.

Harkin says his committee is set to take up the bill the week of Oct. 22.

What specialty crop producers don’t want is an extension of the 2002 Farm Bill, which could happen if the Senate Agriculture Committee can’t come to a consensus and other hurdles can’t be overcome.

FFVA President Mike Stuart, who serves as a co-chair of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, hopes that won’t happen. “We’re hopeful that the Senate leadership will work out a solution to the funding issue very soon,” Stuart said. “What we don’t want to see is a long-term extension of the current farm programs. That would be a serious setback for specialty crop producers in Florida and throughout the country.”

Fortunately, congressional sources have said that a one-year extension is unlikely. The Democratic leadership will want to get a new farm bill approved and signed into law before a new budget resolution takes effect.

Specialty crop growers still face challenges in the process of hammering out a new farm bill.

"With higher commodity prices factored into a new budget baseline, that will mean a lower baseline than we currently have to deal with," one source told reporters.

Another source reported that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has said that if a Senate farm bill is not on the Senate floor by the Thanksgiving break, he will bring up the House-passed farm bill on the Senate floor.

A $286 billion farm bill adopted by the House of Representatives in July showed promise for specialty crop producers by including many of its priorities – a direct result of the hard work accomplished by specialty crop producers working together.

"The goal of key senators is to raise the overall amount for specialty crops from that included in the House bill, but the tight budget continues to put that goal in question, said Jessica Wasserman of Wasserman & Associates law firm, a member of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance. "The details of the specialty crop provisions and the funding level breakouts are still not determined and await the Senate Agriculture Committee markup expected after the Senate recess," she added.

Lobbyist Jerry Hill, a longtime advocate for specialty crops on Capital Hill, added, "The Specialty Crop Alliance continued to demonstrate that it is a player in the farm bill process by having the Senate Finance Committee include pest and disease early detection and surveillance and tree assistance provisions and funding in its portion of the farm bill. The committee also referenced that specialty crops would benefit from an estimated $800 million out of its permanent disaster program. We are hopeful that the Senate Agriculture Committee will soon mark up the balance of the farm bill and include substantial funding for the balance of our specialty crop priorities."

Even if the Senate passes legislation, several hurdles remain, including major funding issues to be tackled in Conference Committee and the possibility of a presidential veto.

"Whether there will be a farm bill this year remains an open question," said Wasserman. "The Senate leadership continues to push for a bill this year, but with Thanksgiving and holiday recess, there are few legislative days left on the calendar for 2007."