TheWeekInCongress.com

Week Ending December 10, 2004

HR 3242 Specialty Crops Competitiveness Act of 2003

BRIEF

   The bill first defines ‘specialty crop’ as ‘any agricultural crop other than wheat, feed grains, oilseeds, cotton, rice, peanuts, sugar and tobacco. Then the bill provides for grants to States for a minimum of $100,000 yearly to ‘enhance the competitiveness’ of specialty crops.   

   The bill also urges the Sec of Agriculture to take action on several issues. One is to reduce the backlog of applications for permits to export US agriculture products. Another issue is to prioritize the search for an alternative to Methyl Bromide. Grants can be made to research improving efficiency, productivity and profitability of specialty crop production.

  A Specialty Crop Committee would be formed. The Committee would consider and report on;

   Measures designed to improve the efficiency, productivity, and profitability of specialty crop production in the United States.

   Measures designed to improve competitiveness in research, extension, and economics programs affecting the specialty crop industry.

   The Committee would also consider;

    Programs that would--

    enhance the quality and shelf-life of fresh fruits and vegetables, including their taste and appearance;

    develop new crop protection tools and expand the applicability and cost-effectiveness of integrated pest management;

     prevent the introduction of foreign invasive pests and diseases;

    develop new products and new uses of specialty crops;

    develop new and improved marketing tools for specialty crops;

    enhance food safety regarding specialty crops;

    improve mechanization of production practices; and

    enhance irrigation techniques used in specialty crop production.

   “As my colleagues know, there are over 250 specialty crops produced throughout the United States, from blueberries in Maine to pineapples in Hawaii, potatoes in Idaho to pecans in Texas. In 2003, fruits, vegetables and tree nuts earned U.S. farmers close to $30 billion in sales at the farm gate alone.

   “As markets for fruits, vegetables and other specialty crops become more global, it is becoming increasingly difficult for U.S. growers to compete against heavily subsidized foreign producers in both domestic and foreign markets.

   “H.R. 3242 has been a long-time coming and serves as a good first step towards addressing the needs of the specialty crop grower through Federal policy changes in both domestic and international trade issues,” said Rep. Charles W. Stenholm (D-TX-17^th) .

   Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA-17^th) said, “Specialty crops are essentially those crops that we eat every day in salads, the lettuce, the artichokes, the strawberries, the grapes. We grow flowers. We grow everything that is not essentially in the commodity world, and we grow that just with market forces; that is, if there is not a good price for the crop, the farmer loses.

   “So what this bill does is bring the specialty crop, which frankly last year made more money than the commodity crops did, and California being the leading State, and almost all of the agriculture in California is in specialty crops, it is a remarkably important bill for our State and for all the people of the country who are in farming in specialty crops, as the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Stenholm) pointed out.

  “Our specialty crops have no price supports. There are no direct payments. There are no marketing loans. There are no countercyclical payments. All we are asking for in this bill is for some help with research money and market promotion.”

Sponsor: Rep. Doug Ose (R-CA-3^rd)

Vote:  Passed House by voice vote (Oct. 7, 2004); Passed Senate by Unanimous Consent (Dec. 7, 2004); Signed by President Bush as Public Law 108-465 (Dec. 21, 2004) 

Cost to the taxpayers:  The bill authorizes $44.5 million for grants 2005 through 2009. ## All Rights Reserved. No reproduction or distribution without written permission from TheWeekInCongress.com.