0606/05 House cmte provides speciality crop funds

Washington Ag June 6, 2005 The U.S. House Appropriations Committee recently authorized seven-million dollars as a first step to implement the landmark Speciality Crop Competitiveness Act, which became law late last year. American Farm Bureau Farm Program Specialist Dana Brooks, says the money would go out to states in the form of block grants. . Brooks: "It provides at minimum 100-thousand dollars per state for fruit and vegetable research, promotion and marketing. If the state submits an application and shows it has a large quantity of needs for the fruit and vegetable industry, they can receive more." Brooks says the funding has a good chance of full congressional approval. Back in 2002 Washington received 10-million dollars in speciality crop grant money under a congressional appropriation and the state Department of Agriculture says that was turned into 100-million dollars in new revenue for the state by boosting international sales of agricultural products and helping family farms market their goods locally. The National Cattlemen's Beef Association has denounced comments made by the Cattlemen's Competitive Market Project and groups it organized that seek to throw out USDA's rule on Canadian live cattle. NCBA president Jim McAdams says it's a sad and historic day when cattle producers provide an open mic to activist groups who have worked 20 years to take beef off Americans' plates. I'm Bob Hoff.