The Fruit Growers News - September 2001


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Processing Apple Growers Testify on Farm Bill

My name is Tom Butler. I manage an association of apple growers who produce 65% of the apple crop in Michigan. We represent the grower in negotiations with Michigan Apple Processors and also provide a sales function for our members to the processor community. I can assure you that my testimony represents the producer point of view. Some organizations appear to represent the grower when in reality they have other interests to represent. For example brokers, shippers and some trade associations always refer to growers as “our growers” but they really represent interests other than that of the grower. The following is a short list of items apple producers desire to have included in the 2002 Farm Bill. 1. We support including apple producers in an on-going market loss assistance program which when needed will help domestic apple producers to survive the onslaught of cheap foreign concentrate apple juice and cheap foreign fresh apples. 2. We support including apple orchard land and land in other tree fruits in the Conservation Reserve Program. 3. We support expansion of the domestic feeding programs, which will use up excess fresh and processed product inventory and provide nutritious food to those in need. 4. We support including a Tree Assistance Program in the Farm Bill to reimburse apple producers for the cost of replanting including the purchase of trees to reestablish orchards destroyed as a result of natural disasters including fire blight and other tree diseases. The apple industry is plowing new ground in asking to be included in the new Farm Bill. These are difficult times in the apple industry. There is every indication that tough times will continue in the future. We appreciate Senator Stabenow holding this hearing and ask that she work diligently to include these points when the Senate Agriculture Committee develops its 2002 Farm Bill. The preceding statement of Tom Butler, manager, Michigan Processing Apple Growers Division of Michigan Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Association, was given to the U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee Field Hearing on the 2002 Farm Bill held Aug. 31, 2001 in Grand Rapids, Mich. U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) hosted two field hearings of the of the committee which had not convened an official public hearing in Michigan since 1915.