Immigration This issue continues to make big headlines and it is emotionally charged with differing views. Without Congressional leadership individual States are destine to deal with this pressing issue via a tapestry of law making. The long awaited Supreme Court ruling on the Arizona case will provide the States with a clear example of the latitude they may or may not have in the matter. Until that time, American Fruit and Vegetable is in a wait and see mode.
Inclusion of Canned and Frozen Fruits and Vegetables in Government Sponsored Nutrition Program American Fruit and Vegetable views this issue as one of our core values. We communicate with Members of Congress to insure that dried, frozen and canned fruits and vegetables (processed) are treated with parity to fresh fruits and vegetables in all tax payer food programs. Canned, frozen and dried fruits and vegetables offer the greatest and best value in these programs.
School Lunch Regulations Proposed by USDA As of December 2011, language regarding USDA's rule proposal set out in the Agriculture Appropriations Bill, directed the USDA to maintain current long standing tomato paste crediting. Congress also directed USDA to not set limits on servings of potatoes, corn and lima beans in the School Lunch Program. American Fruit is supportive of these common sense outcomes.
American Fruit is waiting to see the USDA's interim final regulation to revise meal pattern and nutrition requirements for School Lunch. We recommended that USDA take into consideration naturally occurring sodium in farm grown foods. We also recommend that USDA consider sodium reductions coupled with ongoing assessments of progress and effects of student participation rates, food costs, safety, and food service operations to determine reasonable sodium target reductions.
Buy American American Fruit and Vegetable continues to work with USDA to increase entitlement purchase of fruits and vegetables using Section 6, Section 32, and Section 416 funds, and to make these products available to comport with New Meal Pattern Requirements and to help meet By American Requirements.
American Fruit and Vegetable advocates to USDA to develop timely contracting practices upon which industry can depend so that a sufficient supply of foods meeting USDA's unique specifications can be packed in a timely manner.
American Fruit and Vegetable advocates to USDA to consider purchasing bonus product processed to commercial specifications closest to USDA Foods specifications.
These reforms would allow more American grown fruits and vegetables to be distributed and fewer imported similar products.
Planting Flexibility American Fruit and Vegetable asked Congress to respond to this critical problem before food shortages occured. In response, Congress launched a pilot program advocated by American Fruit and Vegetable and it is contained in the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008. The pilot was named Planting Transferability Pilot Program (PTPP). This pilot allows program crop producers in seven states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin) to enroll in the pilot and plant selected fruit and vegetables FOR PROCESSING on base acres, without harming the land owners ability to go back into subsidized crops the following year. Subsity payments are NOT paid on the acres planted to fruits and vegetables. Crops that are limited in the pilot program are cucumbers, green peas, lima beans, pumpkins, snap beans, sweet corn and tomatoes. Eligible PTPP acreage is capped at various levels in each of the seven states, but the total cannot exceed 75,000 acres for all seven combined.