NASDA Committees Plan Active Agendas

News Date September 17, 2007

 

       During NASDA's Annual Meeting in Seattle, Washington, the 2007 farm bill, specialty crops, trade, bioenergy, and immigration reform will be the highlighted issues during the meetings of the Marketing and International Trade Committee, the Rural Development and Financial Security Committee, and the Specialty Crops Task Force.
 
       The Marketing and International Trade Committee, chaired by Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson, will hear reports from the Foreign Agricultural Service and discuss the latest developments regarding the 2007 farm bill, World Trade Organization (WTO) Doha Round and trade remedy laws. In addition, the committee will hear about the activities of the Tri-National Agricultural Accord.
 
       The Rural Development and Financial Security Committee, chaired by North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson, will have updates and discussions on the farm bill, bioenergy legislation and program updates as well as immigration reform and its impact on agriculture. Those speaking to the committee include Read Smith, co-chair, 25x'25 Steering Committee and Mike Gempler, Washington Growers League. In addition, the committee will take action on revising and updating NASDA's policies under the committee's jurisdiction.
 
       California Agriculture Secretary A.G. Kawamura will chair the Specialty Crops Task Force meeting and members will hear reports from Matthew McInerney of the Western Growers Association and Mark Powers of the Northwest Horticultural Council. The task force agenda also includes an update from USDA on the Specialty Crops Block Grant program.
 
       NASDA's Natural Resources and Pesticide Management Committee plans to review a variety of policy issues. The panel, chaired by Utah Agriculture Commissioner Leonard Blackham, will hear a report on western wildfires and the work of a multi-state governor's task force. Jon Scholl, agricultural counselor to the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), will hold an interactive dialogue with NASDA members on environmental issues and challenges facing farmers and ranchers.
 
       NASDA's Food Regulation and Nutrition Committee, chaired by Alabama Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks, will discuss food imports from China. Richard Barnes, director of federal and state relations for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), will describe the agency's efforts on several food safety issues. The panel will also discuss legislation to allow interstate meat sales, which is one of NASDA's top priorities for the 2007 farm bill.
 
       The Animal and Plant Industries Committee will be meeting on Sunday, Sept 23, afternoon lead by co-chairs West Virginia Agriculture Commissioner Gus Douglass and Nebraska Agriculture Director Greg Ibach. The focus of the meeting will be on emergency planning and response efforts, particularly communications efforts. USDA Undersecretary for Marketing & Regulatory Programs Bruce Knight will tee off discussions regarding lessons learned from during several after-action reports assessing several emergency incidents from this summer. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS) Deputy Administrators, John Clifford and Ric Dunkle, will also provide background and possible solutions resulting from efforts within Veterinary Services and Plant Protection and Quarantine. Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Gene Hugoson will provide a state assessment as well. The committee will further focus on communication issues regarding a NASDA-APHIS project to improve collaborative efforts before, during, and after emergency events. An initial phase of the project will be described and members will be given an opportunity to discuss options to advance the state/federal partnerships. Subsequent to the meeting, states will participate in a survey to gather more specifics. The members will also discuss an emergency contact project being undertaken by NASDA staff. Several important policy items and action items will also be considered. 
 
       The major undertaking of the Biotechnology Task Force will be to consider a rewrite of the current NASDA Biotechnology policy. The task force is chaired by Kansas Agriculture Secretary Adrian Polansky. In addition, members will discuss options for possible involvement in the rewrite of APHIS' policy on biotechnology as well. APHIS and the Biotechnology Industry Organization will have representatives discussing various stewardship/quality management programs. The state of Oregon recently concluded a project on "Biopharming" in the state, and the task force will hear insights from that endeavor. Meeting documents can be located at http://www.nasda.org/nasda2007/. (Contact: Rick Kirchhoff, Charlie Ingram, Jennifer Yezak, and/or Bob Ehart)