Committee review and debate will begin on Wednesday, April 25 at 9:00 AM. Listed below are some of the highlights of the Farm Bill proposal that affect our growers; however, there are several key elements yet to be reviewed and analyzed by the Alliance. We will keep you informed as more information is available to be shared.

ACTION ITEM – IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED

GFVGA asks you to make contact (via fax, email or call) with Senator Saxby Chambliss (GA), and other US Senators that serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee, and ask them to support the Specialty Crop provisions that have been included in the committee proposal. A sample letter is below the highlights.

Highlights of the released legislative language for the 2012 Farm Bill:

Block Grants:

• $70 million per year which expands the baseline by $15 million per year
• Base grants for all states goes up from $183,000 to $233,000
• The new distribution formula includes both value and acres for the remaining funding (approx $53 million).
• Multi-State grants are included with ramps up from $1 million in FY13 to $5 million FY17.

Pest and Disease:

• $60 million FY13-16 ($10 million increase)
• $65 million FY 17 (15 million increase)
• Combines Clean Plant Network with pest and disease, language clearly carves out under 10201.

Specialty Crop Research Initiative:

• $25 million FY13; $30 million FY14 and FY15; $65 million FY16 and $50 million for FY17 and establishes permanent baseline
• Have tied SCRI to requiring “consultation” with NAREE Specialty Crop Committee.
• A 10% waiver or matching waiver was not included

Trade:

• MAP fully funded $200 million
• TASC fully funded $9 million

Nutrition:

• Fully funds Fruit and Vegetable Fresh Snack program ($150 million per year)

SAMPLE LETTER TO YOUR SENATOR

(Please reprint adding your personal information and put on your company or individual letterhead)

Dear Senator ___________________________ :

I live in ______city, state________ and __(include info on your farm/business -’ I grow ___ acres of product’ or ‘I supply seeds to our vegetable growers, etc’ I appreciate the support and leadership you have provided to our fruit and vegetable growers over the years.

Under your leadership (this is true with Chambliss – may not be with other senators -edit accordingly) our industry made significant progress in the 2008 Farm Bill on policy affecting specialty crops. The 2008 Farm Bill was a landmark in how the federal government addresses the crops that account for nearly half the total farm gate value in this country.

As you, and your other Senate Agriculture Committee colleagues, begin debate this week on the provisions of the 2012 Farm Bill, it is critical to maintain the historic specialty crop program achievements started in the 2008 Farm Bill. I am very pleased the preliminary 2012 language released by the Agriculture Committee late last week included increased funding for Block Grants, providing base line funding for the SCRI, increased funding for the pest and disease prevention agencies, such as APHIS and full funding of the fresh fruit and vegetable snack program. These programs are critical to helping maintain a competitive specialty crop industry.

Thank you again for all of your hard work and dedicated support of our specialty crop industry.

Sincerely,

YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS

This training course is designed for Individuals seeking a better understanding of GlobalG.A.P. IFA V4 food safety audit requirements for ranch and packing of fresh fruits and vegetables. The course will provide a detailed understanding of the requirements for GlobalG.A.P. IFA V4 implementation and certification.

To register click here.

Content:

In this course an NSF Agriculture technical expert will lead participants through the fundamentals of the GlobalG.A.P. IFA V4 Food Safety Certification Audit. The course will cover in detail the requirements of the standard and its implementation.

This educational conference is designed for those who are interested in knowing about the General and Technical Requirements of the PrimusGFS Certification Standard. This question-by-question format will provide information needed to deepen your understanding of the audit checklist requirements as well as provide insight as to if this is the best system for your operation.

Primus GFS is a private scheme owned by Azzule that establishes food safety requirements for the certification of agricultural products at a world-wide level. The PrimusGFS scheme covers the supply chain from pre-to post- farm gate production. This training seminar will examine in detail the three defined fundamental areas that an agricultural company must consider at the moment of producing or manufacturing products.

Space is limited to 15 people.

Pricing:
GFVGA Member = $400/individual
Non-GFVGA Member = $750/individual

CLICK HERE to register for the PrimusGFS Standard Training Seminar.
Click here to see the PrimusGFS Training Seminar Schedule of Events.

The North American Produce Transportation Working Group (NAPTWG) has released best practice guidelines for the transportation of produce. The document integrates multiple existing transportation guidelines into one best practices document that can be used throughout North America to provide guidance for seamless product movement and to ensure the ongoing vitality of the carrier sector. The guidelines were reviewed and endorsed by the Blue Book and the Dispute Resolution Corporation (DRC) to ensure compliance with industry trading guidelines for North America.

The 25-member NAPTWG represents fresh produce transportation stakeholders from associations and industry groups across North America. The working group is chaired by David Dever, United Fresh Board of Directors member and president and CEO of Sun World International. Dan Vaché, United’s vice president of supply chain management, also provides leadership for the working group.

“The new guidelines represent an incredible volume of work by industry associations and produce organizations involved in the transport of fresh produce,” said Dever. “We all know how crucial ensuring the vitality of our carrier industry is to the long-term viability of the North American produce industry, and this is one tool to support that.”

The NAPTWG compilation of best practice guidelines is intended to be an evolving resource to guide efficiency in produce transportation. The document is available free of charge to the produce industry and carriers at www.naptwg.org.

For more information from Inside United Fresh, visit their website.

To all Georgia Growers and Agribusinesses,

As you know the Georgia House of Representatives has passed House Bill 87 (Illegal Immigration Reform and Enforcement Act of 2011).  The fight is now in the Senate!!

The Senate Judiciary Committee passed Senate Bill 40 out of committee last week and we expect it to be on the floor of the Senate for debate as early as Monday of next week.  This weekend is the time to contact your legislators. 

We have been told we have made progress with the Senate leadership and some are asking us to reach out to all Senators.  Our request to you is two-fold,

1. Contact your Senator and let them know your concern from the talking points below,
2. Call or send an email to at least five other Senate Republicans, particularly those north of Macon, expressing your concern over S B 40 and how it will affect the economy in your county.    There are bullet points below to work from. 

If you do not know how to contact your legislator go to:

http://www.votesmart.org/official_state.php?state_id=GA&dist=&go2.x=5&go2.y=8

For a list of all of the Senators:

http://www.votesmart.org/official_state_legislator.php?type=office&state_id=GA&criteria=upper

Talking points for a call or email:

1. Thank the Senator for their service to Georgia, and tell them where you are from and what you grow and/or company operations.
2. Recommend a Study Commission be appointed to look the immigrant labor situation and see what e-verify will do to Georgia’s economy before the legislature throws Georgia’s economy in another tailspin because workers are not available.  Ask them to sit back and take a year to study the impact on Georgia with input from the various industries that are putting people to work. 
3. From a state revenue perspective, all W-2 laborers pay Georgia Income Tax.  This could have an economic impact on budget revenues to the state.     
4. Express concern over the use of the Federal E-verify program because,
   1. Additional cost to do business – training of your employee(s) – manual is 82 pages long.
   2. Concern over economic impact in your community – farms, restaurants, hotels, and other small businesses. 
   3. There are not domestic workers available to do farm work.  It is hot, hard and difficult.
   4. The workers you hire have the proper documentation required under Federal law to work on your farm and you have a completed I-9 for all of them.    
5. The cost of enforcing this legislation will be passed on to local city and county governments.   Kentucky prepared a fiscal impact statement showing that an AZ-type immigration law would cost that state a net $40 million a year in new costs for local jails, state prisons, the foster-care system, the administrative offices of the courts and public defenders.  It is estimated the number of undocumented workers in is 455,000 as compared to Kentucky at 50,000.  That $40 million could be $360 million for Georgia. 

1. Many legislators counter that agriculture has H2A available if there is a worker shortage.  H2A is available but there is a 60 day lead time for a petition for workers, advertising, housing and transportation requirements.  These regulations do not allow for a quick response to a worker shortage. 
2. Additional talking points for your consideration: http://aghost.net/images/e0191701/Reasons_to_avoid_an_Everify_mandate.pdf  

ACTION REQUESTED!!

Please contact your Senator and at least five other Republican Senators by phone or email this weekend. 

Please feel free to contact our office if you have any questions – 1-706-845-8200.

Charles Hall,

Executive Director,

Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association

Hands-on Training Delivers Tangible Benefits for Buyers, Shippers, Receivers & More

United Fresh and the USDA have geared up to offer three more of the popular Produce Inspection Training Course in 2011. Presented through the Foundation’s Center for Food Safety & Quality, these hands-on training sessions are designed to help produce industry members learn the core fundamentals of the produce inspection process. Taught by expert USDA trainers, attendees will leave the course with a comprehensive understanding of USDA inspection procedures and standards. The course combines classroom lectures, discussions and lab training to ensure a maximized educational experience.

From Grower-Shippers to Retailers – Find out why over 700 industry members have made this program a core part of their company’s training.

 The Produce Inspection Training Program is divided into two specialized courses. The two-day Fundamentals Course focuses on topics such as inspection essentials, PACA, sampling procedures, and general market principles. The three-day Commodity Labs applies the principals learned in the fundamentals course to real product inspections. Each Commodity Labs course includes Grapes, Lettuces, Potatoes, Strawberries and Tomatoes and is customized with up to seven additional commodities based on attendees’ most common preferences.

The following course options are available in 2011:

1. January 10-11, 2011         Fundamentals of Inspection
2. January 12-14, 2011         Commodity Labs
3. January 10-14, 2011         Both Courses
4. May 16-17, 2011              Fundamentals of Inspection
5. May 18-20, 2011              Commodity Labs
6. May 16-20, 2011              Both Courses
7. September 12-13, 2011    Fundamentals of Inspection
8. September 14-16, 2011    Commodity Labs
9. September 12-16, 2011    Both Courses

REGISTER TODAY!

Be Recall Ready

Preparing Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Producers for Recalls

August 10, 2010

8:00 a.m. – 6 p.m.

UGA Conference Center, 15 RDC Road, Tifton, GA

The Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association is partnering with Dr. David Gombas of United Fresh Produce Association and Amy Philpott of Watson and Mulhern to offer a FULL day of preparing Georgia’s producers for recalls in the produce industry. This hands-on educational course will help growers and shippers be recall ready with an understanding of the fundamentals of produce recalls. Longer traceability workshops have been offered in the past but have been too expensive for most producers to attend. And many Georgia producers can’t afford to be away from the farm for more than a day. This workshop was been condensed from a two day course into one day of intense education and training.

This INVALUABLE workshop should not be missed!

Registered TODAY!

Do you know IF and WHEN your company needs to issue a recall?

WHAT DO YOU DO if a recall is issued about your produce or commodity?

HOW DOES YOUR FARM RECOVER QUICKLY during and after a recall?

These experts will help answer these essential questions and many more.

• FDA Atlanta District Recall Coordinator, Mr. Arnold Best, will share exactly what the FDA expects during a recall, what is covered in an on-farm FDA inspection and how to make it all go away quicker
• Mr. David Durkin of Olsson, Frank and Weeda law firm, will shed light on your rights and responsibilities as well as how to limit your liability in the midst of a recall
•  Mr. David Gombas, Senior Vice President of Food Safety and Technology with United Fresh Produce Association, will educate on the fundamentals of a product recall and the importance of traceability
•  Mrs. Amy Philpott of Watson and Mulhern is an expert in communicating during a recall and will share invaluable information on managing customer expectations

All this will culminate with a hands-on traceability exercise to put the knowledge to the test.

Sponsors for the GREAT Educational Series, Be Recall Ready:

The committee, on which Gombas represents North America, is staffed by 18 volunteer grower and retailer representatives from around the world.

“GlobalGAP has developed a formula for harmonizing GAPs standards that has worked for years,” said Gombas. “For the past year, GlobalGAP held stakeholder meetings around the world, soliciting recommendations from all stakeholders in an open and transparent process. The Sector Committee reviews all of those comments, and changes are made where the recommendations make sense for a global market.”

Gombas is participating on the Fruit and Vegetable Sector Committee to facilitate alignment between the GlobalGAP standard and the North American produce industry’s Produce GAPs Harmonization Initiative.   GlobalGAP is similarly participating in the Produce GAPs Harmonization Initiative in an effort to develop a North American interpretation guideline for GlobalGAP audits.

For more information about GlobalGAP, please contact Dr. David Gombas at dgombas@unitedfresh.org or 202-303-3400, ext. 411. For more information about the Produce GAPs Harmonization Initiative, please contact United’s Erin Grether at egrether@unitedfresh.org or at 202-303-3400, ext. 402.

Source:   Inside United Fresh, June 17, 2010 

The Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association offers a unique membership benefit with the Georgia Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) Food Safety Program. We offer food safety education and consultation through:  

• One-on-one mock audits in the field and packing facility
• Assisting in the set up and development of food safety programs, SOPs and documentation, and
• Conducting 3^rd party food safety audits for the Georgia GAP Food Safety Program and affiliated audits through Primus Labs

 We can help you with tips to begin your food safety program, find resources to enhance your farm or packing facility, or find continuing education for the latest food safety developments. 

 Click HERE for a GA GAP Food Safety Application