02/01/07 Specialty crops and USDA`s farm bill

Washington Ag February 1, 2007 USDA's proposed 2007 Farm Bill is the best ever for non-program specialty crops. That's what Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns told us in a phone interview yesterday after he unveiled the Administration's plan for a new farm bill. Johanns: "We have targeted 5-billion dollars over the next decade to buy additional fruits and vegetables in our nutrition programs, our school lunch program. We have significantly boosted the money that we allocate for research and market promotion. We significantly raised funding for phyto and sanitary issues. So in those areas just a significant step forward for them." But USDA proposes eliminating a prohibition against planting fruits and vegetables on program crop acres which Johanns says is necessary to comply with the WTO. The main changes for traditional farm program crops like wheat, barley and corn would be lower loan rates and a Counter Cyclical payment based on revenue not on price. USDA would eliminate the three entity rule and tie payments to an individual and the subsidy payment limit for individuals would be 360-thousand dollars. I'm Bob Hoff.