Opinion: Next Farm Bill Needs A Push
June 27, 2012 
FFVA has been working hard to ensure that the next farm bill includes priorities of the specialty crop industry. FFVA board member Dan Richey, president and CEO of Riverfront Packing Co. in Vero Beach, testified in May before the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture’s Subcommittee on Nutrition and Horticulture. Richey spoke strongly about the need for continued federal funding for pest and disease research and nutrition programs. He was one of five members of a diverse panel representing the specialty crop industry addressing “Formulation of the 2012 Farm Bill: Specialty Crop and Nutrition Programs.”
Richey spoke about a non-tariff trade barrier that has hurt his company and the fresh citrus industry. Since canker was first discovered, Europe has refused to accept any citrus with lesions, despite research that shows fruit is not a pathway for the disease. “Now, at additional cost, we must have USDA or a state-designated agency certify any grove with fruit that may be destined for Europe as canker-free,” he told the panel. “We also must inspect it at the packinghouse to ensure no fruit has lesions. As a result, in the past year our shipments to the EU have declined by a million cartons, or about 10%.”
The trade barrier has wider implications, Richey said. “With fewer shipments going to Europe, there is an oversupply for citrus destined for another significant export market: Japan. Prices have dropped off, and our revenues are down 21%,” he added. “In short, canker has caused a significant decline in our market prices due to a non-tariff trade barrier imposed on us by the Europeans.”
Citing Specialty Crop Needs
Richey pointed to two programs included in the 2008 Farm Bill that are designed to help specialty crop growers. The Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops program helps reduce sanitary, phytosanitary, and technical barriers that prohibit or threaten the export of U.S. specialty crops. And the Specialty Crop Research Initiative is a competitive grant program that addresses prevention, detection, monitoring, control, and response to food safety hazards in the production and processing of specialty crops.
When asked by subcommittee chairwoman Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Ohio) to identify top priorities of the farm bill, Richey named three: research into eradicating pests and diseases, state block grants, and port interdiction. “There is a direct correlation to an uptick in invasive pests and diseases since the Department of Homeland Security took over border security [after 9/11]. We used funding from the farm bill’s block grants to complement its efforts,” Richey said.
Speak Now
On the positive side, Richey also had a chance to tell the subcommittee about the effort under way to better connect Florida’s specialty crop growers with the public schools’ nutrition program. Since the program was moved from the state Department of Education to the Department of Agriculture, a team has been working to develop a strategy for increasing school children’s consumption of Florida-grown fresh fruits and vegetables. He urged the subcommittee to craft a farm bill that will expand access and availability of safe, wholesome, and affordable fresh produce.
It’s unclear as of this writing what will — or won’t — happen with the farm bill this year. The Senate Agriculture Committee passed its version, and the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance has called on Senate leadership to quickly bring the bill to a vote in the full Senate. Given the constraints of the economy and looming federal budget cuts, the bill’s fate in the House remains uncertain. FFVA urges specialty crop producers to contact their elected officials and push for a farm bill that will continue to invest in specialty crop agriculture, keeping our industry strong and competitive.
FFVA has a resource to help you do that.
Go to Votervoice.net/groups/ffva/directory and enter your information. Once you’ve selected your representative, hit “continue” and a form will come up allowing you to type in an eMail and send it. Let Congress hear from you on this vital issue.