WASHINGTON — In a potential windfall for California farmers, the Bush administration proposed a farm bill Wednesday that would boost spending for conservation, organic crops, and fruit and vegetable producers.
The bill also would strip $1.5 billion in crop subsidies from the nation's wealthiest landowners over the next 10 years.
The $87-billion bill, which would set U.S. farm policy for the next five years, is being carefully watched as farmers of traditional crops face unprecedented competition for federal dollars from environmental groups, anti-hunger organizations and the specialty crop growers who make up the bulk of California farms.
Supporters said that the administration listened to those new interests and that the proposed change was significant.
"This is not your grandfather's farm bill," said Ken Cook, president of the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit that tracks farm subsidies. He noted that it would shift subsidy money from crops such as wheat, corn and cotton.
Mike Wootton, senior vice president of Sherman Oaks-based Sunkist Growers citrus cooperative, called the bill "historic." "For the first time, growers of specialty crops will have a significant place in the farm bill," he said.
California farmers grow about $12 billion of the nation's $30-billion domestic fruit and vegetable crop, yet 91% of the state's farmers do not receive a farm subsidy under the current farm program.
The administration's proposed bill would funnel nearly $5 billion to farmers who grow fruit and vegetables, including $1 billion for research into plant breeding, genetics and genomics. It also would spend $3.2 billion to buy more fruits and vegetables for school meals and other nutrition programs.
Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-Atwater), a member of the House Agriculture Committee, said the new focus on environmental issues would especially benefit California farmers.
"They listened to California agriculture and to specialty crop producers in particular," Cardoza said, referring to fruit and vegetable growers, among others. "They came up with an outline that gives us a good road map to do some innovative things that will be productive."
Every five years, a gigantic farm bill reauthorizes such things as crop subsidies and food stamps. For this round, the administration seeks to scale back spending by about $10 billion to help balance the federal budget.
