Agriculture Appropriations Bill Approved by Conference Committee
- Includes funding for battle against invasive pests in California and assists farmers due to Tri-Valley bankruptcy and Fallbrook quarantine -
October 6, 2000

Washington, DC - The Agriculture Appropriations Bill for FY 2001 approved by a Senate-House conference committee provides funding requested by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) for additional agriculture inspectors for the San Diego border and to assist growers in the fight against exotic pests such as the Mexican Fruit Fly and the Glassy Winged Sharpshooter.

“This is a very important bill for California growers who are struggling with low commodity prices and invasive species from outside our state. The bill will fund U.S. Agriculture Department inspectors at the U.S.-Mexico border and will increase the federal investment in California’s Fruit Fly detection program,” Senator Feinstein said

“Pest infestation is one of the greatest threats facing California growers. This bill shows that Congress recognizes that threat and is responding.”

The bill also directs the Secretary of Agriculture to provide assistance to growers who lost crops due the fruit fly quarantine in San Diego.

“Many growers were forced to watch perfectly good crops rot in the field because there was no recourse available to them. The emergency relief in this bill should help ease this devastating loss of income.

“Also on September 26, a Mexican Fruit Fly was discovered in the Temecula area of Riverside County which may lead to yet another quarantine. The federal government must do a better job of preventing pests from entering the United States and I will continue fighting to ensure it does.”

California projects requested and supported by Senator Feinstein include:

• $20 million in direct assistance to growers who could not sell their crops due to the bankruptcy of the Tri-Valley Growers cooperative.
• Language directing the USDA to pay compensation to growers who could not sell their crops because of the Fallbrook Fruit Fly Quarantine.
• Language directing the USDA to pay compensation to growers who lost crops due to Pierce’s disease.
• $2.5 million in additional disaster assistance for Valencia orange growers who suffered losses due to the December 1998 freeze.
• $4 million to extend the eligibility date for marketing assistance and loan deficiency payments for specialty rice growers in California.
• The Haas Avocado Promotion, Research, and Information Act. (This legislation sponsored by Senator Feinstein to allow avocado producers and importers to self-fund a program of research and promotional activities to increase market demand.)
• $32.9 million for the Fruit Fly Exclusion and Detection Program - Includes an earmark of a $700,000 increase in funding for California.
• $1.25 million for Exotic Pest Research by the University of California.
• $1.9 million for Pierce’s Disease Research by the University of California.
• $1.5 million for the CA-NY Viticulture Consortium.
• $1.1 million for Glassy-winged Sharpshooter and Pierce’s Disease research by USDA’s Agriculture Research Service.
• $2.5 million for the Methyl Bromide Transition Program.
• $20 million for construction of a new FDA lab in Los Angeles.
• $2 million for Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas - a program to provide information to growers on sustainable agriculture practices. The $500,000 increase in funding is expected to be used to open an office in California.
• $2.1 million for the Red Imported Fire Ant Management.
• $106 million for the National Research Initiative - this is the USDA’s primary competitive research grant program - the UC system receives numerous grants from this program.