Vienna, Va. – The U.S. Senate today approved the farm bill conference agreement, sending the measure to President George W. Bush for his anticipated signature. The “Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002” includes $94 million in direct market loss assistance for apple growers, increases funding for the Market Access Program (MAP) and increases funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) purchase of fruits and vegetables – all provisions the apple industry fought to include in the farm bill.

“At the onset of the conference committee’s deliberations, our association indicated its support for several provisions of paramount importance to America’s apple producers,” wrote USApple President and CEO Kraig R. Naasz in a letter to the House and Senate Farm Bill Conference Committee leadership. “Specifically, we requested increased funding for MAP to $200 million annually, increased funding of $200 million annually for USDA’s purchase of fruits and vegetables, and direct market loss assistance to compensate apple growers for devastating losses sustained in marketing the 2000 apple crop.”

Apple industry leaders hailed the passage of the farm bill as an important victory for apple growers.

“Congress developed a farm bill that addresses many of the most-pressing needs of our nation’s apple growers, and provides producers with some much-needed assistance,” said USApple Chairman Edwin F. Wittenbach. “Our industry is grateful to our friends in Congress, whose efforts ensured inclusion of the apple industry’s most critical priorities.”

In addition, the farm bill authorizes a newly created Technical Assistance for Specialty Crop (TASC) program to provide assistance to address barriers that restrict U.S. specialty crop exports, increases funding for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) four-fold to $1.3 billion annually, and requires country-of-origin labeling for fruits and vegetables.

The Senate approved the farm bill conference agreement by a vote of 64 to 35. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the measure May 2 by a vote of 280 to 141. The bill now heads to the White House for the President Bush’s signature.

The U.S. Apple Association (USApple) is the national trade association representing all segments of the apple industry. Members include 40 state apple associations representing 9,000 apple growers throughout the country, as well as nearly 500 individual firms involved in the apple business. USApple’s mission is to provide the means for all segments of the U.S. apple industry to join in appropriate collective efforts to profitably produce and market apples and apple products.