01/04/05 Specialty crop bill lacks funding

In the past growers of what are labeled as specialty crops haven't been able to take advantage of federal programs under the 2002 farm bill. Mostly it's the corn, wheat, soybean and cotton growers in the Midwest and South who have been able to use programs geared to their individual commodities. Now, thanks to a bill co-sponsored by Senator Larry Craig and signed into law last month by the President, potato, apple, wine grape and other Idaho specialty crop growers are promised federal help. SCHLECT "44.5 million would go to block grants to the state departments of agriculture." Chris Schlect of the Northwest Horticulture Council says that while Congress wants 44-million dollars to go into the program this year it didn't bother to appropriate the money. SCHLECT "It won't really won't impact our growers this coming calendar year until and unless we convince Congress to fund it which will be very difficult given the cost cutting that I'm sure Congress will be under because of the war in Iraq and because of the overall budget deficit." If Congress somehow comes up with the block grant money state departments of agriculture could help pay for a variety of programs, ranging from technical assistance, research, regulation review and marketing. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott