March 14, 2006
via fax
Honorable Henry Bonilla
Chair, Appropriations Subcommittee
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Chairman Bonilla:
The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) requests your support to fully fund a Specialty Crops Block Grant Program in the FY 2007 Agricultural Appropriations Bill. The block grant program was authorized for $44.5 million in P.L. 108-465 and would be disbursed based upon each state’s value of specialty crop production. The funds must be used to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops (defined as fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits and nursery crops). The law authorizes that each state would receive a base grant of $100,000.
NASDA was very pleased that the FY 2006 Agricultural Appropriations Bill included $7 million for the Specialty Crops Block Grant Program. We greatly appreciate your support in funding the program for the first time under the 2004 authorizing law. NASDA members are eagerly awaiting an opportunity to review proposed regulations by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service. Once those regulations are finalized then states can begin the application process and carry out the program to assist producers of specialty crops.
The 2001 Specialty Crops Block Grant Program, which was funded in an emergency farm assistance package approved by Congress and signed into law by President Bush, provided approximately $159 million for specialty crop production assistance. Each state received a base grant of $500,000 to “support activities that promote agriculture” and the remaining funds were allocated to states based on the ratio of the value of vegetable, fruit and nut production in each state to the national total.
With those funds States, working in cooperation with their agricultural community, were able to direct funding to areas that would provide the greatest overall benefits to their state citizens and producers. These areas included programs such as food safety and security, agricultural education, research, pest and disease prevention, marketing and promotion, and enhancement of the health and nutrition of our children and adults. NASDA issued a progress report on those grants and it can be located at http://www.nasda.org/specialtycrop/ .
Specialty crop block grants would continue to bolster the development and enhance the global competitiveness of these crops and to meet the varied needs of specialty crop producers that are not served through traditional commodity loan programs. In order to provide further information, a project questionnaire on the specialty crop block grant program is also included with this letter.
NASDA urges you to fund a Specialty Crops Block Grant Program in FY 2007. Your favorable consideration of this request is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
J. Carlton Courter III, NASDA President
Commissioner, Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services