Fruit and the Farm Bill

Fruit and the Farm Bill. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

The Senate’s markup of the 2012 Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act passed the committee by a 16-5 vote. For the fresh fruit and vegetable industry this bill answers the call over the last year to continue to build on the investments made in the 2008 Farm Bill. United Fresh’s Ray Gilmer says specialty crops have been gaining in political clout in recent years.

GILMER: I think there was a realization in Congress a few years ago that the states politically that grow fruits and vegetables have grown to the point that they do have the wherewithall and especially in the House of Representatives to secure the votes to basically use some leverage to get a better bill for fruits and vegetables.

It's not just politics that Gilmer says lead senators to support specialty crops at a time when other programs are seeing significant cuts.

GILMER: Also I think there’s been a much greater awareness of the benefits of fruits and vegetables in the American diet and making sure we have a balanced diet with a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables that is ultimately going to make everybody healthier and reduce our healthcare costs down the road.

Included in this version is $70 million annually for the Specialty Crop Block Grant program and $200 million per year for the Market Access Program. This is of course only the first hurdle in getting a new farm bill but most ag groups are pleased with these first steps...although, not all.

That’s today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.