ST. LOUIS, Mo. — In another example of how farm bill wrangling can create unusual allies and unlikely opponents, fresh and processed specialty crop groups ended up on different sides of proposed language in the House Agriculture Committee’s Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management (FARRM) Act.

The committee’s proposal allows funds for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, providing funds for produce snacks in schools, to also be used to purchase frozen, canned and dried produce for snacks. Statements from trade groups on both sides of the produce aisle illustrated the divide.

“This expansion will give schools year-round access to the widest possible variety of healthy and affordable fruits and vegetables in all forms, including frozen,” said American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) President and CEO Kraig R. Naasz.

Robert Guenther, senior vice president of public policy at United Fresh, a leading produce industry trade association, disagreed. “Opening this program to all forms of fruits and vegetables undermines the goal and focus of the program, which is to provide a fresh option to more than three million American schoolchildren,” said Guenther.

The fresh produce group supports expanding the program to include dried fruit, but does not generally support expanding the program to include canned and frozen produce.

The program funds school purchases of fresh fruits and vegetables for student snacking. More than $150 million was allocated to states for this in 2011. The House bill, like the Senate’s version, keeps the program’s funding at the same level as the 2008 farm bill.

Red Gold, LLC, headquartered in Orestes, Ind., was among more than 50 fruit and vegetable producers, processors and school nutrition groups signing a July 12 letter to the committee encouraging the expansion.

“We clearly support efforts to expand school food programs to all produce,” said David Halt, director of the Foodservice Division at Red Gold. “It is far more economical for schools to provide nutrition using bulk (canned or frozen) produce and dividing those into smaller portions at the school level.”

Examples of healthy snack possibilities using Red Gold products, according to Halt, are whole wheat bread sticks with marinara dipping sauce or snacks accompanied by salsa dips.

Many Michigan groups also signed the letter supporting the proposed change. They include MBG Marketing-The Blueberry People, the Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board, Michigan Farm Bureau, Michigan Food Processors Assoc., Michigan Processing Apple Growers, Michigan Freeze Pack Co., Michigan State Horticultural Society and the Michigan Vegetable Council.

The Midwest Food Processors Assoc., headquartered in Wisconsin and representing food manufacturers there and in Illinois and Minnesota, also signed.

“Groups in support of this kind of expansion are usually those who are unable to supply fresh produce year-round, but can offer the same nutrition in preserved fruits and vegetables,” said Halt.

That may explain why the North American Blueberry Council and the California Strawberry Commission both signed the letter supporting the program’s expansion. Although those crops may be offered as fresh snacks, berries can also be a frozen snack ingredient.

But the two berry groups are also listed members of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, a coalition of more than 120 groups co-chaired by Guenther. In a statement issued after the bill passed in committee, the Alliance said “by eliminating the program’s focus on fresh fruits and vegetables, the House farm bill undermines the program’s benefits for up to three million low-income elementary students. The Alliance has long advocated that the integrity of the program’s mission is essential to promoting healthful eating habits in children.”

The apparent presence of strawberry and blueberry interests in groups on both sides of the issue illustrates the unpredictability of farm bill debate. Yet all groups indicate timely passage of the bill is the larger concern.

“United Fresh remains committed to working with agriculture allies to urge lawmakers to pass the 2012 farm bill before the current law expires on September 30 this year,” said Guenther.