« Schellville, Sonoma County California Area Floods | Main | WBW #19: 2001 Côte-Rôtie Brune et Blonde de Guigal »
March 08, 2006
CAWG Weighs in on Early Hearings for 2007 Farm Bill
Sacramento, CA, March 6, 2006 - Bruce Fry, treasurer of the California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG), was one of twelve California farmers to testify before the House Agriculture Committee at a Farm Bill Hearing in Stockton on Friday, March 3rd, 2006.
During his testimony before the Committee, Fry, a fifth generation farmer of Mohr Fry Ranch in Lodi, said, “We view the rewrite of the Farm Bill as a chance to partner with government to invest in fundamental programs that will enhance all of agriculture’s ability to continue to be competitive in the global market.”
One of CAWG’s top priorities to be addressed in the 2007 Farm Bill is invasive and exotic pest and disease exclusion. “Based on our firsthand experience with the Glassy-winged Sharpshooter, which vectors the vine-killing Pierce’s disease, and more recently because of the Vine Mealybug, we know eradication and ongoing suppression programs are expensive to operate and can be disruptive to IPM programs and the environment,” said Fry. CAWG is recommending that a wiser investment would be to fully fund the Animal Plant Health Inspection Service for inspections, treatments, detection and eradication to prevent new pest infestations.
Fry noted CAWG’s support for increased research, education and extension programs to stimulate innovation and accelerate the adoption of new best practices to enhance competitiveness. Fry applauded the Value-added Grants program for rural development and the Market Access Program to help growers export ag products. He also supported the expansion of conservation programs that reward good stewardship practices and recognize the ecosystem services provided by farms and ranches.
In his closing remarks, Fry stressed a critical component of farming not addressed in the Farm Bill is the need for a reliable, legal workforce for crops that require an inordinate amount of hand labor. “We need comprehensive immigration reform that not only considers enforcement measures and border security issues but also includes a meaningful guest worker program. Agriculture and the consumers of our products depend on it,” said Fry.
Members of Congress participating in the hearing included Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), Ranking Minority Member Collin Peterson (D-MN), California Members - Richard Pombo, Dennis Cardoza and Dennis Nunes, and Representatives from Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, Michigan, Kansas, Iowa and Tennessee.
The text of Fry’s entire testimony is available on CAWG’s Web site at http://www.cawg.org/pdf/Testimony.pdf.
CAWG represents the growers of more than 60 percent of the gross grape tonnage crushed for wine and concentrate in California. The statewide association provides industry leadership to advocate for public policies, research and education programs, and trade positions to enhance the business of growing California winegrapes. For more information about CAWG, visit www.cawg.org.
Contact:
Ken Freeze
Account Director
Brown Miller Communications, Inc.
1114 Jones St., Martinez, CA 94553
T: (925) 370.9777
F: (925) 370.9811
Visit us at: www.brownmillerpr.com
Source: California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG), Press Release, Monday, March 6, 2006, 2:33 pm
Posted by fortna at March 8, 2006 11:33 AM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.avenuevine.com/movabletype/mt-tb.cgi/919