WASHINGTON, D.C. — Specialty crop interests applauded the U.S. Senate’s farm bill proposal continuing current levels of funding for the Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD).

“We were very pleased to see full funding for MAP and FMD in the farm bill draft (Senate Agriculture Committee) Chairwoman (Debbie) Stabenow (D-Mich.) released,” said Mike Wooton, a senior vice president with Sunkist Growers cooperative and chair of the Coalition to Promote U.S. Agricultural Exports.

The export coalition includes more than 150 commodity and specialty crop groups, including organizations representing farmers and ranchers, fishermen and forest product producers, cooperatives, small businesses, regional trade organizations and state departments of agriculture.

It had asked for funding of no less than $200 million annually for MAP and $34.5 million for FMD, the same levels funded in the current farm bill. Farm groups have touted the success of the programs, especially MAP. A USDA-commissioned audit, published in 2010, found a $35 increase in agricultural export value for every additional $1 spent on export assistance programs.

MAP uses USDA funds to help finance promotional activities for U.S. agricultural products abroad, including consumer promotions, market research, technical assistance and trade servicing, according to the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. The program requires farmers and other participants to contribute up to a 100 percent match of their own resources.

Supported by commodity groups such as the National Assoc. of Wheat Growers, the MAP program is popular with export-oriented specialty crop groups. During his testimony on behalf of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives to the House last month, Wooton cited how the company had benefited from matching MAP funds.

“With matching monies, our MAP-funded activities increased lemon sales in Japan by 13.4 percent over the life of the campaign, increased lemon sales in China and Hong Kong in 2009 by 195 percent compared to 2008 and increased orange sales in Singapore by 127 percent over the life of the campaign,” he said.

Export assistance was not the only program in the Senate’s legislation applauded by specialty crop producers. 

“The 900-page farm bill proposal includes support for key specialty crop industry priorities such as research, pest and disease mitigation, trade, nutrition and other programs that enhance the ability of specialty crop producers to be competitive and meet the needs of American consumers,” wrote members of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA) on April 24.

The SCFBA represents more than 140 organizations, including the Illiana Watermelon Assoc. and Michigan Apple Committee. The group is administered by the United Fresh Produce Assoc., a Washington, D.C.-based produce industry group. The group supports funding of federal nutrition programs, included in the farm bill, that enable fruit and vegetable consumption. The Senate bill includes annual funding of $150 million for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (known as SNACK) and $50 million for the Department of Defense program providing fresh fruits and vegetables to schools and service institutions.

During the Senate committee’s farm bill markup April 26, an amendment was approved that would allow SNAP (food stamp) funds to be used in purchasing community supported agriculture shares. The amendment, authored by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), was offered by Stabenow.

The Senate proposal also includes an increase in funding from $55 million to $70 million for the Specialty Crop Block Grant program. The program, established under the 2008 farm bill, awards funds to state departments of agriculture for promotion, research, education and training for specialty crops.

The Senate bill would also increase funding for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative, from $25 million in 2013 to $50 million in 2017.

Two other programs included in the Senate committee’s bill related to specialty crop producers were the Hunger-Free Communities Grant Program and the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program.