[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 80 (Thursday, May 15, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E945]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 2419, FOOD, 
                  CONSERVATION, AND ENERGY ACT OF 2008

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                               speech of

                            HON. MIKE PENCE

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 14, 2008

  Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, along with the gentle lady from Wisconsin, 
Representative Tammy Baldwin, I have sponsored legislation to allow 
farmers who grow fruit and vegetables for processing to opt out of farm 
programs on an acre for acre basis without limitation. That legislation 
would reduce farm program costs and improve the environment by allowing 
more extensive crop rotations. I am very pleased that the conference 
report takes a step toward that proposal by establishing a pilot 
project to allocate 75,000 acres of new authority for production of 
fruit and vegetables for processing in specified Midwestern states. 
USDA has broad discretion in administration of this pilot project to 
meet the objectives of the pilot project. The conference report does 
not specify a procedure for allocation of the pilot project acreage or 
other administrative matters, such as re-allocation of unused acreage 
allocations among states. However, USDA is clearly required to 
establish rules to assure that this additional fruit and vegetable 
production authority will not be abused. Only fruit and vegetables 
under contract for processing are to be produced under this authority. 
USDA is to assure that the crop produced is delivered to a processor 
and that the quantity of crop delivered under the original contract, 
the contract in existence upon Farm Service Agency certification, does 
not exceed the quantity that is produced on the contracted acreage. 
Further, the effects of the pilot project and FAV restrictions on the 
specialty crop industry, both fresh and processed, are to be evaluated. 
These restrictions are intended to ensure protection of the objectives 
of the pilot project, not to compel food waste or excessive regulatory 
burden. Further, the conference report includes an important statement 
of policy indicating that in the next recalculation of base acreage, 
fruit and vegetable production will not cause a reduction in farmer's 
base acreage. While this is a timid step in reducing restrictions on 
production of fruits and vegetables, I commend this step in the right 
direction.

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