[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 85 (Thursday, May 22, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1024]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E1024]]
CONFERENCE REPORT H.R. 2419, FOOD, CONSERVATION, AND ENERGY ACT OF 2008

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                               speech of

                          HON. MARK E. SOUDER

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 14, 2008

  Mr. SOUDER. Madam Speaker, I would like to make a few brief comments 
to clarify the fruit and vegetable provisions that were in the 
conference report.
  In this and previous Congresses, Madam Speaker, I have cosponsored 
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, changes that would reduce farm program costs and 
improve the environment by allowing more extensive crop rotations. I am 
very pleased that the farm bill conference report takes a step in this 
direction by establishing a pilot project to allocate 75,000 acres of 
new authority for the production of fruit and vegetables for processing 
in specified Midwestern states.
  To administrate this pilot project, the conference agreement gives 
the USDA broad discretion. It 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, the agreement does clearly state that USDA is required 
to establish rules to assure that this additional fruit and vegetable 
production authority will not be abused. For example, only fruit and 
vegetables under contract for processing are to be produced under this 
authority, and the USDA is to assure that all of 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.
  Furthermore, the effects of the pilot project and fruit and vegetable 
restrictions on the specialty crop industry, both fresh and processed, 
are to be evaluated. These restrictions are intended to protect the 
objectives of the pilot project, not to compel food waste or 
excessively burden Farmers with added regulation. Finally, 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 a farmer's base acreage. While 
this is a small step in reducing restrictions on the production of 
fruits and vegetables, it is a step in the right direction, and I 
commend the conference committee for including it.

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