POSTED: Thursday, Jan. 28, 2010

Money to benefit Washington state growers pushed ahead

WASHINGTON - Washington state farmers and growers will receive nearly $20 million to promote overseas sales, the Agriculture Department announced Tuesday, Jan. 26, even as the White House made plans to announce a federal spending freeze that could affect future funding for the program.

In a pre-emptive move, a bipartisan group of 66 lawmakers led by Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., wrote to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack urging him to provide full funding for the Market Access Program in the president's budget proposal due next week.

"By boosting access to overseas markets through consumer promotion, market research and technical assistance, MAP benefits American farmers and the nation's economy, while improving our trade balance and creating jobs," the lawmakers wrote. "MAP is a proven and cost-effective program that is particularly important to the economy of rural communities and trade-dependent states."

Among those signing the letter from Washington state were Republican Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Dave Reichert and Democratic Reps. Rick Larsen and Jay Inslee.

The lawmakers urged the administration to provide $200 million for MAP in the coming fiscal year, the amount authorized by Congress in the most recent farm bill. Last year, the administration sought to cut the program by 5 percent.

In announcing $200 million in MAP funding Tuesday, Vilsack said, "We must provide our exporters with the resources they need to compete overseas during the 21st century. (Our) market development programs are more important than ever."

The Washington State Fruit Commission received the largest amount for any Washington state-related group, $4.8 million. Other groups included:

• U.S. Dairy Export Council, $4.3 million;

• Pear Bureau Northwest, $2.9 million;

• Washington Apple Commission, $1.1 million;

• U.S. Dry Bean Council, $1 million;

• USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council, $908,000;

• Welch Foods Inc., $893,000;

• Northwest Wine Promotion Coalition, $876,000;

• U.S. Apple Commission, $872,000;

• Cherry Marketing Institute, $262,800;

• and Hop Growers of America, $187,000.

The Washington Red Raspberry Commission is not among the organizations that would receive funding, said Henry Bierlink, executive director of the commission. He doesn't think many Whatcom County farmers would directly benefit from this program.

Hastings said it was important for other growers in the state.

"At a time of unprecedented job losses and hard economic times, fully funding MAP will help local growers and producers create new jobs for central Washington residents and allow our specialty crop exports to continue to expand," Hastings said in a statement.

President Obama is expected to announce in his State of the Union speech Wednesday night and in his budget proposal expected Monday that he is imposing a spending freeze on discretionary programs, not including national security programs. Social Security, Medicare and other entitlement programs would not be affected.

"We have to change business as usual in Washington, (D.C.)" Ron Nabors, deputy director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, told reporters Tuesday. "We need to be in a position where we balance the budget and spend money wisely."

A freeze on domestic spending could end up with cuts to some programs, while others would lag behind inflation. If adopted by Congress, the freeze would save $250 billion over the next 10 years. The federal budget deficit is currently about $1.4 trillion.

Michael Doyle of McClatchy Washington Bureau contributed to this story.