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URL: http://highlandstoday.com/long-awaited-farm-bill-delivers-key-florida-bene0140205/

Long-awaited farm bill delivers key

Florida benefitsy John Buchananentral Florida's Agri-Leader

he new farm bill passed by Congress cuts total agricultural spending by 15 percent. But in terms of practical benefitsorida fared particularly well, according to key industry leaders.

Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association worked with other agriculture organizations through the Specialty Crop Farmlliance for passage of a five-year bill that continues a strong federal investment in specialty crops," said FFVA presidike Stuart. "This legislation does precisely that. With its critical programs for producers and shippers of fruits and

egetables, the bipartisan bill is a win for the Florida produce industry."

espite deep cuts in total spending, Stuart said, the long-awaited new bill increased funding for programs that arearticularly important to Florida's fruit and vegetables producers.

he single most important provision is a commitment of $125 million over the next five years, as part of the specialty c

search initiative (SRIC) that is specifically dedicated to citrus greening research.

nell Hendren, national affairs coordinator at Florida Farm Bureau Federation, also hailed the citrus greening researche most important allocation in the bill. "And ultimately, there could be the addition another $125 million on top of thaaseline amount in discretionary funding," she said. "That means that in the future, we could see $50 million a year beient on greening research. And that is unprecedented."

he credited Florida Rep. Tom Rooney, a member of the House agricultural appropriations committee, and Sen. Billelson for their aggressive support of the spending. "That was an issue that got quite contentious," Hendren said. "Bu

enator Nelson, Representative Rooney and Florida Citrus Mutual did a great job in leading that effort."

nother key benefit to Florida, Stuart said, is the specialty crop block grant program administered by USDA via stateepartments of agriculture. Grant awards are direct funding to state-specific initiatives that tackle issues critical to locagriculture.

ast year, Florida received $4.1 million for a total of 27 projects undertaken by the University of Florida, Florida A&orida International University, University of South Florida, Florida Specialty Crop Foundation, Florida Tomatoommittee, Florida Sweet Corn Exchange, Florida Strawberry Growers Association, Florida Agriculture in thelassroom, Inc., and Urban Growers Community Economic Development Corporation.

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uart also cited the allocation of $200 million per year to the federally-funded market access program as an importanenefit to Florida. "That program is vital in helping growers expand to new markets and be competitive on an internativel," Stuart said.

nder Florida Agriculture Commission Adam H. Putnam, exports of "Fresh from Florida" products to new internationarket has been a major goal.

uart also said the fresh fruit and vegetable program, another effort supported by the new bill and a personal priority ommission Putnam, "has had demonstrable success in getting schoolchildren to eat more nutritious produce, starting n a path to healthy eating habits."

endren said that yet another major victory for Florida in the bill is the elimination of a dairy supply management proviformer versions that would have had a big negative impact on Florida dairies.

Those provisions would have harmed our dairies by making Florida, which is a 'milk deficit' state for most of the yearduce its milk output when it was already reduced because of weather conditions," she said. "That issue was really thght in the House that held the final bill up for two weeks." In the end, she said, House Speaker John Boehner stood fainst the provision, effectively killing it.

espite all the good news for Florida, however, there is one provision that Hendren and other agricultural organizationslike.

hat is a new requirement that farmers who seek federally-supported crop insurance for production on highly erodiblend wetlands be fully compliant with conservation regulations.

he linkage of conservation compliance to crop insurance was a key provision sought by conservation groups, such a

ucks Unlimited and Pheasants Forever.

This is the first time that in order to get your crop insurance with government support, you will have to take steps toemonstrate compliance with all relevant soil and water conservation regulations," Hendren said, adding that her objecbased on the fact that, "it places a higher burden on Florida producers than it does on most row croppers because w

ave conservation regulations and other issues that hit us a little bit harder than everyone else out there. And that meanose things could be more costly to implement for our growers."

the end, however, Hendren said she agrees with Stuart that the overall provisions of the new bill represent significan

enefits to Florida farmers.