November 2023 - 7

SEEDS
The American Seed Trade Association is focusing
on five areas for this year's Farm Bill: conservation,
agriculture research, innovation, trade and risk
management. Photos courtesy of American Seed
Trade Association.
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and other weather events that have affected different
crops: flooding in California that devastated dozens of
crops early this year, and warm winters, late frosts and
wet springs that have caused production shortfalls in key
apple regions in recent years. The federal government
should fast-track an assessment of these and similar
threats to agriculture, according to ASTA.
Trade
ASTA's trade-related Farm Bill recommendations focus
on programs like the Market Access Program and
Foreign Market Development Program, which promote
U.S. specialty crops and other domestic food in other
countries through industry dollars and government
funds. The Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops
program has also addressed export barriers for specialty
crops, according to the association.
Innovation
Englert said it's crucial that USDA has clear regulatory
frameworks in place as new technologies are developed,
allowing producers to use the new tools. This would address
uncertainty created by a patchwork of state regulations.
" ASTA was pleased to support the Plant Biostimulant
Act, a bi-partisan piece of legislation that would
direct the USDA to establish a federal definition for
plant biostimulants, " Englert said. " This would be
an important step in ensuring these innovations are
broadly available to producers to employ the benefits
of these technologies to increase productivity while
conserving natural resources. "
INTEREST AND ENTHUSIASM
SURROUNDING COVER CROPS CONTINUES
TO GROW AS PRODUCERS LOOK FOR
TOOLS TO SLOW EROSION, IMPROVE
SOIL HEALTH AND ENHANCE WATER
AVAILABILITY, AMONG OTHER ECONOMIC
AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS.
- Payton Englert, American Seed
Trade Association
Funding shortfalls at the EPA, Food and Drug
Administration and USDA, the agencies responsible for
regulating biotechnology products, have allowed staffing
shortages to affect commercialization of products
developed through innovative breeding methods,
according to ASTA.
Risk management
The seed association joins dozens of other
agricultural groups in stressing the need for improved
farmer safety nets. Crop insurance helps growers
rebound after losing a crop and to purchase seed for
the next season. Another Farm Bill recommendation
is offering crop insurance rebates for cover crop use,
building on the Pandemic Cover Crop Program. ASTA
supports a $5 per acre rebate on crop insurance
premiums to use to plant cover crops.
" Farm Bill programs play a pivotal role in ensuring
certainty for producers across all regions and sectors of
U.S. agriculture, and provide for a more nutritious and
food-secure future both at home and abroad, " Englert
said. " Resiliency and prosperity in agriculture starts
with seed. "
VEGETABLEGROWERSNEWS.COM | 7
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http://www.VEGETABLEGROWERSNEWS.COM
November 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November 2023
