Food Safety - nasda
National Association of State Departments of Agriculture th 1156 15 Street, NW, Suite 1020 Washington, DC 20005 Tel: 202-296-9680 | Fax: 202-296-9686 www.NASDA.org
April 26, 2012
The Honorable Jack Kingston Chairman Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies H-307, The Capitol Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Sam Farr Ranking Member Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies 1016 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515
Dear Chairman Kingston and Ranking Member Farr: As Congress prepares legislation making FY 2013 appropriations for USDA and FDA, the members of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) encourage you to support important programs to ensure a safe and abundant food supply. NASDA represents the commissioners, secretaries, and directors of agriculture in all fifty states and four territories. As elected and appointed officials, our members are strong advocates for American agriculture and are partners with a number of federal agencies in regulating and providing services to the agricultural industry. While there are many important programs funded annually by the agriculture appropriations measure, there are a few we want to specifically highlight and encourage the committee to adequately fund:
Food Safety With the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), significant new food safety-related responsibilities will fall to the states. It is crucial that FDA supports the necessary cooperation with state agencies to implement these new responsibilities. Additionally, adequate funding for training and running these programs will be crucial. We encourage the committee to ensure USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service is sufficiently funded, particularly in regards to the many programs with state cooperators that provide food safety for consumers and market access for producers. Adequate funding of these federal-state cooperative programs is crucial to complement the federal food safety efforts for meat and poultry products. Agricultural Marketing Service’s Microbiological Data Program (MDP) is a cooperative program with the state departments of agriculture and other federal agencies. It has been instrumental in collecting, analyzing and reporting food-borne pathogens on selected agricultural commodities. More importantly it played a key role in the identification of Listeria monocytogenes in cantaloupe last summer that
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helped halt a life-threatening outbreak of listeriosis in humans. The elimination of this program would be detrimental.
Animal and Plant Health Pest and Disease Programs NASDA members are partners with USDA in ensuring the protection of American agriculture and rural economies from the threats posed by animal and plant disease and pests. We urge Congress to consider the impact that the funding lost in recent years has on the ability to prevent and respond to these risks. We ask you to refrain from further cuts to APHIS. The President’s FY 2013 budget request calls for a $54 million reduction from FY 2012. If Congress were to enact the President’s request, or if Congress cuts the Agency’s budget even deeper, APHIS will have suffered at least a $140 million (or 16 percent) reduction in the last three fiscal years. These cuts would irrevocably damage the valuable APHIS programs and cause a deterioration of essential services to combat the threats posed by animal and plant disease and pests. For example, APHIS has recently initiated a 22 percent reduction in funding for the Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS) program, a part of the emerging pests line item. NASDA encourages sufficient funding for APHIS’s critical Wildlife Services (WS) programs and opposes efforts to restrict or eliminate WS funding. WS's cooperative nature is the key to its success and has made it the most cost effective and efficient program in federal government in the areas of wildlife damage management and public health and safety. In cooperation with the state departments of agriculture, other state agencies, industry and other cooperators, WS provides needed Federal leadership and expertise to resolve wildlife conflicts and protects agriculture from detrimental animal predators through identification, demonstration, and application of the most appropriate methods of control. WS is an important partner in the development of methods to resolve conflicts between humans and wildlife, including wildlife management programs such as livestock protection, migratory bird damage to crops, invasive species damage. For example, the agency is a critical partner with the states in addressing the rapidly expanding population of feral swine. In addition, a key role of WS is in the development of human health and safety activities such as the Oral Rabies Vaccination (ORV) program which is imperative in controlling this disease. The Animal Disease Traceability Program receives a boost in funding under the President’s FY 2013 proposal of approximately $6 million to buy eartags and help states implement the new voluntary program. We support the program and urge APHIS to implement the final rule on traceability.
Trade Promotion The Market Access Program (MAP) encourages the development, maintenance, and expansion of commercial agricultural export markets. In addition, the program works to stimulate and increase interest of small companies in exporting, open new markets, and increase commercial sales of U.S. agricultural products abroad. We urge the committee to fully fund MAP at $200 million. While MAP benefits farmers by increasing demands for their products, the program especially helps small businesses in urban, suburban, and rural areas access foreign markets and increase export
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opportunities. In addition, we encourage you to support USDA’s Foreign Market Development (FMD) program and help foster trade opportunities with American businesses in emerging markets.
Pest Management and Crop Protection We urge the committee to continue funding the IR-4 Project and to not consolidate its activities within a new Crop Protection Program. IR-4 provides important coordination of federal, state land grant university, and industry resources to help ensure specialty crop growers have access to much needed products to manage destructive pests. The Michigan State University Center for Economic Analysis estimates that IR-4 Project efforts contribute over $7.2 billion to US Gross Domestic Product. The President’s budget proposes eliminating funding for USDA Agricultural Marking Service’s (AMS) Pesticide Recordkeeping Program. This program provides important funding to state departments of agriculture to ensure compliance with federal reporting requirements for restricted use pesticides, as well as to provide important outreach and assistance to users of these pesticide products. Again, we urge the committee to support these programs that are vital to ensuring American farmers and ranchers continue to be able to produce and market safe, affordable, and profitable food, fiber and fuel. Sincerely,
Stephen Haterius Chief Executive Officer, NASDA
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April 26, 2012
The Honorable Jack Kingston Chairman Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies H-307, The Capitol Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Sam Farr Ranking Member Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies 1016 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515
Dear Chairman Kingston and Ranking Member Farr: As Congress prepares legislation making FY 2013 appropriations for USDA and FDA, the members of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) encourage you to support important programs to ensure a safe and abundant food supply. NASDA represents the commissioners, secretaries, and directors of agriculture in all fifty states and four territories. As elected and appointed officials, our members are strong advocates for American agriculture and are partners with a number of federal agencies in regulating and providing services to the agricultural industry. While there are many important programs funded annually by the agriculture appropriations measure, there are a few we want to specifically highlight and encourage the committee to adequately fund:
Food Safety With the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), significant new food safety-related responsibilities will fall to the states. It is crucial that FDA supports the necessary cooperation with state agencies to implement these new responsibilities. Additionally, adequate funding for training and running these programs will be crucial. We encourage the committee to ensure USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service is sufficiently funded, particularly in regards to the many programs with state cooperators that provide food safety for consumers and market access for producers. Adequate funding of these federal-state cooperative programs is crucial to complement the federal food safety efforts for meat and poultry products. Agricultural Marketing Service’s Microbiological Data Program (MDP) is a cooperative program with the state departments of agriculture and other federal agencies. It has been instrumental in collecting, analyzing and reporting food-borne pathogens on selected agricultural commodities. More importantly it played a key role in the identification of Listeria monocytogenes in cantaloupe last summer that
Page 1 of 3
helped halt a life-threatening outbreak of listeriosis in humans. The elimination of this program would be detrimental.
Animal and Plant Health Pest and Disease Programs NASDA members are partners with USDA in ensuring the protection of American agriculture and rural economies from the threats posed by animal and plant disease and pests. We urge Congress to consider the impact that the funding lost in recent years has on the ability to prevent and respond to these risks. We ask you to refrain from further cuts to APHIS. The President’s FY 2013 budget request calls for a $54 million reduction from FY 2012. If Congress were to enact the President’s request, or if Congress cuts the Agency’s budget even deeper, APHIS will have suffered at least a $140 million (or 16 percent) reduction in the last three fiscal years. These cuts would irrevocably damage the valuable APHIS programs and cause a deterioration of essential services to combat the threats posed by animal and plant disease and pests. For example, APHIS has recently initiated a 22 percent reduction in funding for the Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS) program, a part of the emerging pests line item. NASDA encourages sufficient funding for APHIS’s critical Wildlife Services (WS) programs and opposes efforts to restrict or eliminate WS funding. WS's cooperative nature is the key to its success and has made it the most cost effective and efficient program in federal government in the areas of wildlife damage management and public health and safety. In cooperation with the state departments of agriculture, other state agencies, industry and other cooperators, WS provides needed Federal leadership and expertise to resolve wildlife conflicts and protects agriculture from detrimental animal predators through identification, demonstration, and application of the most appropriate methods of control. WS is an important partner in the development of methods to resolve conflicts between humans and wildlife, including wildlife management programs such as livestock protection, migratory bird damage to crops, invasive species damage. For example, the agency is a critical partner with the states in addressing the rapidly expanding population of feral swine. In addition, a key role of WS is in the development of human health and safety activities such as the Oral Rabies Vaccination (ORV) program which is imperative in controlling this disease. The Animal Disease Traceability Program receives a boost in funding under the President’s FY 2013 proposal of approximately $6 million to buy eartags and help states implement the new voluntary program. We support the program and urge APHIS to implement the final rule on traceability.
Trade Promotion The Market Access Program (MAP) encourages the development, maintenance, and expansion of commercial agricultural export markets. In addition, the program works to stimulate and increase interest of small companies in exporting, open new markets, and increase commercial sales of U.S. agricultural products abroad. We urge the committee to fully fund MAP at $200 million. While MAP benefits farmers by increasing demands for their products, the program especially helps small businesses in urban, suburban, and rural areas access foreign markets and increase export
Page 2 of 3
opportunities. In addition, we encourage you to support USDA’s Foreign Market Development (FMD) program and help foster trade opportunities with American businesses in emerging markets.
Pest Management and Crop Protection We urge the committee to continue funding the IR-4 Project and to not consolidate its activities within a new Crop Protection Program. IR-4 provides important coordination of federal, state land grant university, and industry resources to help ensure specialty crop growers have access to much needed products to manage destructive pests. The Michigan State University Center for Economic Analysis estimates that IR-4 Project efforts contribute over $7.2 billion to US Gross Domestic Product. The President’s budget proposes eliminating funding for USDA Agricultural Marking Service’s (AMS) Pesticide Recordkeeping Program. This program provides important funding to state departments of agriculture to ensure compliance with federal reporting requirements for restricted use pesticides, as well as to provide important outreach and assistance to users of these pesticide products. Again, we urge the committee to support these programs that are vital to ensuring American farmers and ranchers continue to be able to produce and market safe, affordable, and profitable food, fiber and fuel. Sincerely,
Stephen Haterius Chief Executive Officer, NASDA
Page 3 of 3
