SCFBA Seeks More Research and Broader Inclusion of Fruits and Vegetables in Nutrition Programs

20/09/06 National Potato Council President and Chief Financial Officer Jim Wysocki is slated to testify before the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture about the specialty crop industry's priorities for the 2007 Farm Bill. Wysocki, whose family owns Wysocki Farms, a potato farming and packing operation in Bancroft, Wisconsin, will speak for the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA) -- a coalition of more than 75 organizations representing growers of specialty crops around the United States.

For the past 14 months, the SCFBA steering committee has worked with a broad cross section of the specialty crop industry to develop a comprehensive set of policies for inclusion in the 2007 Farm Bill. Co-chairs of that steering committee include Mike Stewart, President of Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association; Tom Nassif, President of Western Growers Association; and John Keeling, President of the National Potato Council.

Wysocki's testimony will reflect several of the key priorities that the SCFBA has developed over the past year. Among the key priorities:

* Boost specialty crop marketing around the world
* Provide more funding for research into specialty crop production
* Improve programs to fight pests and diseases that increasingly threaten U.S. specialty crops
* Broaden the use of fruits and vegetables in nutrition programs to promote a healthier America
* Enhance conservation programs to allow more specialty crop growers to participate and help protect the environment
* Expand the use of block grants to states for addressing specific local producer priorities