U.S. Specialty Crops at a Crossroad

Resource, Sep 2008 by Burks, Thomas F, Schmoldt, Daniel L, Steiner, Jeffrey J

The U.S. secretary of Agriculture has responded to the specialty crop industries' arguments and affirmed that the nation must establish viable R&D programs in order to sustain these crucial commodities. The secretary's 2008 Farm Bill proposals included a request for $1 billion over the next 10 years to develop science-based tools for the specialty crop industries. This past May, Congress passed the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, which provides $230 million in mandatory funding for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative over five years. This Initiative establishes a specialty crop research and extension initiative to address the critical needs of the specialty crop industry by developing and disseminating science-based tools that target specific crops' needs and their regions. Resulting new federal grant programs could create significant opportunities for industry and ASABE. The specialty crop industries earnestly desire that scientists and technology vendors join with their industries and together find ways to bring new technology to commercial application. With the advent of the 2008 Farm Bill process, the USDA has taken a leadership role in helping to maintain a viable U.S. specialty crop industry. This effort promises to offer new opportunities for Society members to participate in research and extension efforts, including commercial applications.

The Specialty Crop Technology Development Steering Committee (an informal, national group of industry, university, and federal participants) has sponsored the development of an information Web site and technology database. General information regarding this initiative is available at www.specialtycrop. info. In addition, the Specialty Crop Advanced Technology Database has been created to provide an opportunity for scientists and technology vendors from around the world to post their technology capabilities to a searchable database. The intention is to create a technology community where specialty crop producers, processors, scientists, and technology providers can come to find appropriate technologies to solve their urgent needs. It is hoped that Resource readers will take time to visit the site and, if possible, post their respective technology capabilities.

ASABE member Thomas F. Burks is an associate professor in the University of Florida Agricultural and Biological Engineering Dept., Gainesville, USA, tfburks@ifas.ufl.edu; Daniel Schmoldt is a national program leader for plant and animal systems at USDA-CSREES, Washington, D.C., dschmoldt@csrees.usda.gov; Jeffrey J. Steiner is a national program leader for integrated agricultural systems, USDAARS, Beltsville, Md., USA, jeffrey.steiner@ars.usda.gov.