07/03/07 Chairman's Farm Bill mark and specialty crops

Washington Ag July 3, 2007 U.S. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson has told reporters that his chairman's mark for the 2007 Farm Bill will for the first time include baseline funding for fruits and vegetables. It includes about 685 million dollars over and above nutrition programs and food purchases and it is all paid for. Peterson: "They include some things that have been there before that have never had baseline because they aren't big enough; Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, farmers market promotion, value added producer grants, the organic certificate cost share program, Market Access Program." Peterson says a new program included is for pest detection and control. Also there have been changes in conservation programs, which Peterson says will very much benefit fruit and vegetable producers. Peterson; "To make them more eligible and make the programs work better for them." If offsets can be found funding for fruits and vegetables could be increased. Full details of the mark up language will be released this Friday with full Ag Committee mark up starting July 17th. I'm Bob Hoff.