By
Kristin Churchill
Assistant Editor
The U.S. House
Agriculture Committee passed legislation Sept. 30 that will bring
$54 million a year for five years to specialty crop programs.
The Specialty Crop Competitiveness Act, introduced by Rep. Doug Ose,
R-Calif., will use an annual $54 million to improve the quality, safety
and future productivity of the fresh fruit, vegetable and nut industries.
States’ departments of agriculture will use about $44.5 million
of that annual amount for block grants. About $5 million per year
will go toward specialty crop research.
John Bakker, executive director of the Michigan Asparagus Advisory
Board, said the extra funding will help improve the specialty crop
industries.
“It will allow us to be able to do things we couldn’t
do before,” he said.
Bakker said the asparagus industry “can certainly use the help
right now.” He said foreign imports have hurt the U.S. industry
and money from the bill might go toward helping automate the nation’s
producers.
“We’ve certainly been looking at programs to aid packers,
canners and freezers in buying equipment,” he said.
Ose’s bill replaced the heavily-debated original bill, which
called for $500 million in annual mandatory funding. At press time,
the bill was on the House floor awaiting approval. It was expected
to pass through the Senate by Oct. 9, the end of the 108th Congressional
session.
The last specialty-crop assistance package approved by Congress gave
$169 million in block grants to growers in 2001.
