02/24/06 Potato growers work issues in D.C.

02/24/06 Potato growers work issues in D.C.

Potato growers work issues in Washington D.C. This is the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report. I'm Bob Hoff. Today's report next. Farm and Ranch February 24, 2006 Several Washington potato growers were in Washington D.C. this week for a meeting of the National Potato Council and to make the rounds on Capitol Hill and various federal agencies. In an interview from the Capitol, Chris Voigt, Executive Director of the Washington State Potato Commission, says the group met with most of Washington's congressional delegation. A major topic was the 2007 Farm Bill. Voigt: "Probably about 90% of all the farm bill funding is going towards just 1/3 of the farmers in the country. Potato growers and many specialty crop growers have been left out of that. So we have been really talking to the congressional delegation asking for a farm bill that includes the other two-thirds of growers, or those specialty crop growers here in the U.S." Voigt says specialty crop producers don't want traditional farm program payments, but funding for such things as helping to address trade issues, transportation, and research. The potato growers also urged support for legislation called the Uniformity Food Labeling Act. Voigt says questionable food safety warning requirements in California are behind the drive to create a national standard. Voigt: "So that states can't impose their own safety warnings. They can still do it but all we are asking is they have to petition the FDA for that process and the FDA has to approve it. That is very important to the potato industry because actually French fries and potato chips are the two products that California is picking on right now." Voigt says the measure already has 220 co-sponsors in the House. That's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report. Brought to you in part by the Washington State Potato Commission. Nutrition today! Good health tomorrow! I'm Bob Hoff on the Northwest Ag Information Network.
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