USDA/Bush Administration Blasts Farm Bill - Threatens Veto
In these reports, comments from USDA Deputy Secretary Chuck Conner (photo) from an exclusive interview with Southeast AgNet Friday after House and Senate both passed a farm bill compromise that the Bush Administration has all kinds of problems with. While Conner agrees there are some good things in the bill for specialty crops, including citrus, there are also some issues with the bill that could cause a major shoe drop later with respect to world trade partners who are expected to cry foul. 
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LAKELAND, Fla. (May 15, 2008) – Florida Citrus Mutual Executive VP/CEO Michael W. Sparks Thursday urged President Bush to sign the Farm Bill into law after both the U.S. House and Senate passed the measure by veto-proof majorities.
In these reports, straight talk from central Florida Congressman Adam Putnam about passage of the House/Senate Farm Bill compromise by huge bi-partisan margins on both sides of the Congressional aisle. With President Bush threatening a veto, Putnam poses a question and points out there are easily enough votes to override the veto in both House and Senate. 
Members of the U. S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the Compromise Committee version of the Farm Bill late Wednesday afternoon. The Senate is expected to do the same shortly. It’s expected the President will follow through on his veto threat, even though he must know the margin of votes needed to override his veto exists. It is also expected WTO may have some issues with this Farm Bill version, too. Commentary in this report. 
In this report, comments from citrus grower Peter McClure with Evans Properties, who also heads up the grower Box Tax Council that advises the citrus research community. In a recent interview with Southeast AgNet/Citrus Industry Magazine’s Ernie Neff, McClure talks about his ‘takeaway’ from the recent scientific gathering in Ft Pierce that focused on greening and canker research discussions. 
Here is our interview this month with Bob Terry, Florida Ag Statistics Service.
In the first report, Dr Michael Rogers (photo left) from University of Florida’s Citrus Research and Education Center at 
Lake Alfred has more comments about the effectiveness of neighboring citrus growers working together to best control citrus psyllid, which is the vector of citrus “greening” disease. In the second report, Director of USDA’s Horticulture Lab in Ft Pierce, Dr Calvin Arnold, discusses an interesting research project done for grapes that may have some helpful information in the search for answers about citrus “greening”. 
May 7, 2008 - GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Peter Stoffella has been named director of the Indian River Research and Education Center, an appointment that became effective May 5. Stoffella, a horticulture professor with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, had served as the center’s interim director for 11 months. He served as an associate director for the center since 2002. “Coming from within the system, my learning curve is a little bit easier than someone coming from outside,” he said. 
Recently wrapping up another series of localized grower meetings around Florida, Citrus Mutual 
I’ve continued to add segments to this series, so I’m updating this post to be sure our citrus visitors hear what is now this full eight-part series with Dr Robert Davis. Among the scientists gathered in Ft Pierce recently to discuss greening and canker research, Davis is a scientist with USDA at the Beltsville MD lab and a member of the National Academy of Sciences. These reports features his comments about the greening challenge from various angles as he shares his thoughts about the value of the efforts being made by the industry to solve the greening problem.
In these reports, candid comments from Florida Citrus Commission Chairman Ben Albritton Jr about recent investments of Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) funds to help in citrus greening research efforts. Albritton also discusses the painful but real challenge of some growers not doing what is needed to deal with greening, thereby harming neighboring growers who are trying to control the spread of the disease. 
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — When the University of Florida Agricultural Women’s Club celebrated its 100th anniversary recently, it added a new tradition—recognizing one of the state’s foremost female agribusiness leaders. At an April 17 reception, Vero Beach citrus grower and cattle rancher Hariot Greene was presented the club’s first Women of Distinction Award. The event was held at the President’s House on UF’s main campus. 
Southeast AgNet’s Ernie Neff has been attending the meeting in Ft. Pierce of some of the top scientists with the USDA and The National Academy of Sciences where citrus greening was the topic of discussion. There were some suggestions made and Ernie tells us just what some of these were.
In this report, comments from University of Florida Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC)Director Dr Harold Browning (in photo), about citrus greening and canker research discussions going on in Ft Pierce involving scientists from UF, USDA and the National Academy of Sciences.
In these four reports, comments from Tim Gast of Southern Gardens Citrus in Clewiston about their operation’s grove scouting and greening management program. Scouting, tree removal, and replicated research plots to look into a suspected guava-greening connection are all discussed. Gast offered the comments in a recent interview with Southeast AgNet’s Ernie Neff at the recent ‘Greening Summit” in Avon Park, FL. 
