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Washington,
DC
-- The U.S. Senate has given final approval for the FY 2004 agriculture
appropriations spending bill, which includes funding for a number
of important California agricultural priorities including research
into ways to eradicate Glassy Winged Sharpshooter, Senator Dianne
Feinstein (D-Calif.) today announced.
"California
is the number one agriculture producing State, and exotic pests
pose a serious threat to the agriculture industry," Senator
Feinstein said. "I am pleased that Congress has provided
millions in funding to combat pests like the glassy winged sharp
shooter. It is critical that we do all that we can to eliminate
the threat from this and other exotic pests."
The
FY2004 Agriculture Appropriations Bill includes the following items
of interest to California:
- $22.5
million for State eradication efforts into the Glassy Winged Sharpshooter;
- $2.25
million for Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension
Service Piece's Disease Research;
- $3.8
million for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Research Service
to research ways to combat the Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter;
- $1.048
million for Sudden Oak Death research;
- $638,000
for the Bi-National Ag Research/Development Program;
- $2
million for the Center for Exotic Pest Research (UC Riverside);
- $427,000
for the Central California Ozone Study;
- $1.788
million for the East-West Viticulture Consortium;
- $3.5
million Methyl Bromide Transition Program;
- $795,000
for the Food Animal Residue avoidance databank;
- $2.5
million Appropriate Technology Transfer for rural areas;
- $180
million for the National Research Initiative, a USDA competitive
research grant program;
- $25
million for the farmers's market nutrition program; and
- $1
billion for Environmental Quality Incentives Program, a program
that allows farmers to receive compensation for conserving habitat,
protecting open space, and preserving farmland.
In
addition, the bill includes report language that:
- Encourages
the Secretary of Agriculture to use existing Commodity Credit
Corporation authorities and resources to provide assistance in
response to animal and plant health threats, and to allow compensation
to avocado and citrus growers in California and poultry industry
in California.
- Urges
the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to continue
working closely with US avocado growers to implement procedures
for import of Mexican Avocados. It also directs APHIS to report
on the status of Mexican avocado imports, including problems with
pets surveys, oversight by APHIS personnel, diversion of Mexican
avocados to other than an approved destination. The Committee
also directs APHIS to include independent, third party scientists
in the development of any pest risk assessment in the Federal
Register. Report to Congress before they publish results expanding
approved areas or lengthening the time periods for import of Mexican
avocados.
- Encourages
the Risk Management Agency to develop and implement an option
to the current crop insurance program for avocados to cover losses
due to quarantines and do so in close cooperation with the California
avocado industry, and comment and report on the economic impacts
of recent domestic quarantines and analyze options for protecting
avocado growers from future losses due to such actions. The Committee
also expects the USDA to report within 6 months on progress in
developing a program for a rider option for avocado crop insurance
to address future quarantine due to any injurious pest or disease,
including fruit fly infestation.
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