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U.S. farm bill includes money for Florida

Orlando Sentinel – July 1, 2008

WASHINGTON – The U.S. government’s farm program conjures up images of corn, wheat and subsidies for Midwestern farmers. But the new version that recently became law looks like a “growth” opportunity to Florida farmers.

The $289 billion farm bill survived vetoes by President Bush and widespread criticism of its subsidies and price supports for everything from corn, wheat and soybeans to sugar and milk. But for Florida growers and researchers, its first-ever funding for programs involving fruits and vegetables could be worth millions. Proponents say the money will help improve food safety, reduce costs to consumers and make more healthy food available.

Florida is second to California in specialty crops like fruits, vegetables and nursery plants, so it will get a big portion of the new money. Ferns, oranges, tomatoes and other crops are big business in Florida — $4.6 billion a year.

Here are the top categories for Florida:

*Nutrition (up $3 billion to $189 billion).

A school snack program that covered a handful of states is going national and will include Florida, giving kids a daily dose of U.S.-grown fruits and veggies. About 50 of 67 Florida school districts are likely to benefit.

Some of those snacks could be Florida-grown carrots, cucumbers and watermelon. Florida tops the nation in sales of snap beans, fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, squash and watermelon.

There’s also a $1.25 billion boost for an emergency food aid program that ships surplus food to states to supply programs like food banks. In Florida, that food helps 800,000 people; spending will rise to $9.3 million this year, from $6.5 million.

“It’s a godsend,” said Dave Krepcho of Second Harvest Food Bank in Orlando. He estimated that the increase means about a million extra meals a year for poor families in Central Florida.

*Specialty crops research (new program — $230 million over five years).

Fruits, vegetables and nursery plants now are eligible for research money that could be used, for instance, to try to develop crops that use less water or produce more per acre. Alan W. Hodges of the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences said researchers there are scrambling to put together applications to tap into this “windfall.”

*Pest and disease fighting (new program — $177 million over five years).

Florida farmers are plagued by bacteria, fungi and critters from other places. This first-time pot of money will fund research into pests and diseases that attack fruits, vegetables and nursery plants. Canker, for instance, has been a bane to citrus farmers. But a bacteria that causes “greening” may prove even worse.

*Conservation (increases from $21.4 billion to $24.1 billion over five years).

Florida now gets $16 million a year under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, which funds, among other things, anti-pollution and wetland-creation efforts.

“Florida has a very sensitive ecosystem,” said Mike Stuart of the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association in Maitland. “If there are more dollars tailored to address environmental issues, this would be a great place to spend [them.]”

*New specialty crop state block grants ($224 million over five years). Florida could get $8 million a year or more of the new money. Stuart said it could be used for marketing state crops or training produce packers in food safety.

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