06/13/06 Specialty crops want more from farm bill

Washington Ag June 13, 2006 Fruit and vegetable growers want more financial help from the next federal farm bill. That was the repeated message the U.S. House Agriculture Committee heard from a panel of specialty crop producers at a hearing in Yakima this past weekend. Among those testifying was Larry Olsen, an apple, cherry and grape grower from Prosser, Washington. Olsen: "I must admit feeling that in the past fruit and vegetable growers have been treated in the farm bill like step-children. However, I am not here to advocate price support for fruit growers or for any other crop that I grow. However, I ask this committee provide additional support from programs that enable growers like me to compete in free, national and international markets." The importance of research funding was also emphasized throughout the hearing. And Olson and the other specialty crop witnesses like Oregon pear grower Ron Rivers, spoke of their need for labor and a guest worker program. Rivers: "Although immigration policy is not part of the farm bill, I am a grower of perishable commodity. If I do not have the labor to harvest my pears, no number of farm bill programs or dollars from USDA can keep me in business." I'm Bob Hoff.