Country-of-Origin Labeling Survives Committee Vote

The Packer
November 19, 2001

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The Packer | November 16, 2001 | By Larry Waterfield

WASHINGTON, D.C. - On Nov. 15 the Senate Agriculture Committee, on a largely partisan vote of 11-10, approved a new farm bill that includes several new provisions to assist the produce industry.

At one point the lawmakers voted to remove country-of-origin labeling for produce and meat, but later Sen. Paul Wellstone, D-Minn., got the committee to put it back in the bill.

Donna Dennison, government affairs director for the United Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association, Alexandria, Va., said Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., helped pass several key provisions to assist the produce industry, including a phased-in program to buy commodities for government programs that starts at $130 million a year and reaches $200 million in five years.

"Stabenow was the champion for the industry," Dennison said.

The committee approved a pilot project of $25 million in 15 states to establish a domestic promotion program for fruits and vegetables.

Money will also be provided to help producers of tree fruits by covering 75% of the cost of lost trees and vines. Exporters will get help with Market Access Program spending that rises to $200 million a year.

APPLE HELP

In other action, the full Senate on Nov. 15 passed the agricultural appropriations bill that contains $75 million in help for apple growers. The measure, which also passed in the House, was then sent to the White House for the President’s signature.

Apple growers had asked for $150 million, the figure originally passed by the House but reduced in conference.

COUNTRY-OF-ORIGIN LABELING

The country-of-origin labeling measure was at first defeated in the agriculture committee by a vote of 12 to 9, with two Democrats, Zell Miller of Georgia and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas joining Republicans to defeat the labeling, which was a part of a title in the bill dealing with competition in agriculture.

That whole section was voted out. It would have created a special office at USDA to deal with issues of competition and unfair trade practices.

Later, Wellstone offered country-of-origin labeling as a new amendment, and the committee passed it.

A House-passed farm bill also contains country-of-origin labeling. The House made it a floor amendment despite opposition from retailers and importers.

SENATE HAGGLING

Senate committee members haggled over the details of the huge farm bill, including funding levels for commodity support programs, conservation, food stamps and nutrition.

Harkin, the committee chairman, got approval of a measure to increase food stamp funding by $6.2 billion over ten years. The House figure is only $3.6 billion. The committee agreed to extend food stamps to former welfare recipients for six months.

The final Senate bill is likely to differ in major ways from the House-passed bill, but both bills are expected to continue big support programs for Midwest grain farmers. The White House denounced the House-passed bill and has offered no support for the Harkin-backed proposal.

The Bush administration says both versions are too costly and are anti-competitive because of the support programs. The White House has backed an alternative bill offered by Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind. However, Democrats control the Senate and the Senate Agriculture Committee, which severely reduced the chances of the Lugar bill being adopted.

In the final vote, Democrats voted for the new farm bill and Republicans voted against it.

NOTICE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for research and educational purposes.

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