Industry leaders said during a panel discussion that preceded Vilsack’s speech that the time for action was at hand after two-and-a-half years of discussion and preparation. A request for a checkoff must be submitted to USDA by the end of this year, they said, in order to have a nationwide referendum and to get a checkoff board into operation before the current administration leaves office. One leader said a $40 million budget was critical for a successful program.
In conjunction with the OTA meeting, USDA unveiled a whole-farm revenue insurance policy for organic, specialty crop and diversified crop producers. “It reduces the risk of farming to the point people will stay in farming,” said Vilsack. Organic farmers say traditional insurance policies do not take into account the higher unit value of their crops and the role of contracts to set prices. The pilot program will be available later this summer, USDA said in a statement.