Washington, D.C. — The House Agriculture Committee has included more than $1.6 billion dollars in mandatory spending for apples and other specialty crops in the 2007 Farm Bill - an increase of almost $1 billion over previous proposals and well above 2002 Farm Bill levels. The bill includes important programs in nutrition, research, pest management, and trade to encourage consumers to enjoy more apples and other healthful fruits, vegetables and products. The approved boost in funding is good news since these programs will help address production and marketing challenges facing producers of apples and apple products.

"Chairman Peterson, Congressional leadership and the members of the House Agriculture Committee recognized the importance of the American apple industry and specialty crops by showing their commitment with secured funding to help build market opportunities and address industry needs," said Nancy Foster, President of U.S. Apple Association (USApple). "This is a watershed moment for the U.S. apple industry. We are certainly pleased that the Committee has made specialty crops a priority, and support the bill as it goes before the House of Representatives for consideration, possibly as early as next week."

As a member the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA), USApple has advocated for a Farm Bill that emphasizes long-term competitiveness and sustainability of apples and other specialty crop production rather than direct government subsidy payments to farmers. The approved bill offers the industry increased funding for research, technology and science advancements, expansion of nutrition programs, more access to conservation programs, and increased export funding. Specifics include expansion of the Specialty Crop Competitiveness (Block) Grant program and increased access to fruits and vegetables through expansion of the USDA Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program to all 50 states. A new Specialty Crop Research Initiative would be established and funded to address the needs of apples and other crops and their regions, including work in plant breeding and genetics, safety, quality and yield, and efforts to identify and address threats posed by invasive species and needed production improvements. Additional funding to increase exports was approved for the important Market Access Program (MAP) and the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops (TASC) programs. Additionally, the bill helps to protect domestic food production from invasive pests and diseases that cost the economy millions of dollars each year. Locally-grown apples and products would benefit from increased funding for farmers' market programs.

The Committee's Farm Bill includes many of the programs in H.R. 1600, the Eat Healthy America Act, supported by USApple and introduced in March. Reps. Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), John Salazar (D-CO), Randy Kuhl (R-NY), Rick Larsen (D-WA), Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Adam Putnam (R-FL) worked to build support for this important bill.

Specialty crops are a critical component of the agricultural economy but have historically been underrepresented in previous Farm Bills. According to the USDA, specialty crop production across the U.S. accounts for over $49 billion in farm cash receipts, representing almost half of the U.S. total crop value. Over the past two years, USApple and the 119 other members of the SCFBA have worked to see that their needs are reflected in the reauthorization of the Farm Bill.

"We have not called for direct subsidies or payments to our producers," Foster said of the Alliance's efforts. "We have called for a truly comprehensive and competitive Farm Bill that recognizes the important role of apples and other specialty crops in American agriculture. There is a new reality that the Farm Bill is broader than program crops. This Farm Bill has shifted towards bringing equity to specialty crops across the nation."

Note: The text of this release an be downloaded from the News Releases section of USApple's Media Web site, at http://www.usapple.org/media/newsreleases/index.shtml. The U.S. Apple Association (USApple) is the national trade association representing all segments of the apple industry. Members include 36 state and regional apple associations representing the 7,500 apple growers throughout the country, as well as more than 300 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.