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April 2024
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A Message to Our Industry Partners
From the Specialty Crops Program (SCP)
Christopher Purdy, Deputy Administrator
Christopher.purdy@usda.gov
It's been a while since our last update, and we're thrilled to reconnect with you to share the latest from the Specialty Crops Program (SCP). We've been working to develop initiatives aimed at benefiting your business.
In this edition of The Specialty Crops Standard, we've compiled valuable resources and customized services tailored to meet your needs. Additionally, you'll have the opportunity to get acquainted with some of our dedicated staff who serve you day in and day out.
As an organization funded primarily through user fees, we are committed to staying at the forefront of technology to enhance our services. To this end, we're embarking on various pilot programs to test the effectiveness of different inspection and grading tools, such as digital refractometers and moisture meters. These initiatives are aimed at ensuring we maintain our standards of accuracy and efficiency in inspection services.
We understand the importance of transparency regarding fees. While we've had to make adjustments in recent years, we are committed to keeping you informed about any changes. Stay tuned for more updates on this topic later in the year.
In our efforts to continually improve, we're enhancing our electronic data offerings through the AMS Market News website and My Market News. We're also making upgrades to facilitate easier access and downloading of Market News information into your preferred data analysis tools. Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we're actively working on areas for improvement, such as timely import data for industries like limes.
Moreover, we value your input and actively seek it through various channels. This past month, we concluded another productive meeting of the USDA's Fruit and Vegetable Advisory Committee. Comprised of representatives from a diverse cross-section of the produce industry, this committee plays a crucial role in providing suggestions and ideas to improve our programs to meet the evolving needs of the industry. On March 26, the USDA published a notice of intent to renew the charter of the FVIAC for another two years. We invite you to comment on this notice until May 1, 2024.
Your ideas and suggestions are vital to our ongoing efforts to enhance our services. Please don't hesitate to reach out to me with any questions or recommendations. And if you're ever in D.C., we'd love for you to stop by and visit us.
Thank you for your continued support and partnership.
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By Jason Karwal, Acting SC Market News Director
jason.karwal@usda.gov
Specialty Crops Market News (SCMN) service is a free and unbiased service that provides current market information to assist producers and marketers of farm products and those in related industries in making critical daily decisions. The service covers local, regional, national, and international markets, and includes data on supply, movement, contractual agreements, inventories, and prices for numerous agricultural commodities, both conventionally and organically produced.
MARS Project
Specialty Crops Market News (SCMN) is transitioning from its’ Oracle Portal Web Site to the new MARS/My Market News system. We had a successful launch of the Retail market level in September 2023 and Terminal market in January of 2024. Shipping Point, and Movement market levels will be the next to make the transition with Shipping Point scheduled to be released in May of 2024 and Movement in December of 2024. For each market level, the full dataset, including historical data, will be available via API (Application Programming Interface) once transition to the new system is complete.
Reports of Interest
National Retail Report has grown to be one of the most closely tracked reports published by Market News. SCMN tracks advertised prices on specialty crops at approximately 410 supermarket chains, with over 30,300 individual outlets.
U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement Seasonal Perishable Products Weekly Update was created to highlight the seasonal market situation on several of the most widely imported specialty crops commodities, with additional commentary and market price and volume data visualizations.
National Weekly Hemp Report was launched in January 2023, featuring both retail prices as well as movement volumes of imports of selected hemp commodities.
Market News Mobile App
In June 2023, AMS introduced version 3.0 of the USDA Market News Mobile Application with free iOS and Android versions available to download through the Apple and Google Play stores. The app gives users instant access to nearly 1,500 reports covering conventional and organic commodities.
My Market News: https://mymarketnews.ams.usda.gov/
Watch Specialty Crops Market News Webinars
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By Ryan Wilson, SCI Director
ryan.wilson@usda.gov
The Specialty Crops Inspection (SCI) Division’s core mission is to support the global marketing of America's fresh, frozen, and processed fruits, vegetables, and other specialty crops by collaborating with the agricultural community in providing trusted, impartial, prompt, and accurate quality assurance and food safety verification services.
To remain relevant to our industries, SCI continues to expand current services and examine inspection processes to ensure we remain an efficient and provide effective service for our industries. These efforts include, cost-effective expansion of service options, incorporation of new technology and equipment into current inspection processes, and working with stakeholders to review U.S. grade standards
To contact SCI for more information, visit https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/sci-contacts
Questions or comments? Contact us at: SCIinspectionoperations@usda.gov
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Market Development Division
By Michelle Sharrow, MDD Director
michelle.sharrow@usda.gov
Congressional authority for marketing orders is nearly 100 years old. The law that created marketing orders – the Agricultural Marketing Agreement Act of 1937 – was enacted in an era following the Great Depression when growers of fruits, vegetables, and related products needed to devise initiatives meant to overcome marketing challenges, together.
Today, marketing orders continue to be an effective program through the ingenuity and creativity of the board and committee members who administer them at the local level.
An example of the ongoing evolution of marketing orders is the California raisin marketing order. In place since 1960, the Raisin Administrative Committee is undergoing a process to modify its structure by decreasing its number of members from 47 to 21 with a corresponding change to the number of alternates serving on the RAC.
USDA will issue a decision after fully considering all evidence, findings, and conclusions, and may conduct a referendum later this year to measure the level of support for the changes among raisin producers in California, all before issuing a final rule on whether to implement the RAC’s recommendations.
Historically, the most successful marketing orders are those that foster input from as many viewpoints as possible during board and committee meetings. The dialogue and debates are highly collaborative efforts made possible by the partnership with USDA to promote the marketing of U.S. specialty crops.
For more information:
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USDA Specialty Crops Competitive Initiative (SCCI)
By Heather M. Pichelman
heather.pichelman@usda.gov
In November 2023, USDA announced it was initiating a new effort to support the U.S. specialty crops industry. The initiative aims to increase the competitiveness of specialty crops products in foreign markets, enhance domestic marketing, and improve production and processing practices.
As part of SCCI, USDA conducted a departmentwide review of its current services and programs that support the specialty crops industry and compiled the information into a directory. The Specialty Crops Resource Directory is a one-stop shop for the sector and contains a comprehensive snapshot of USDA’s resources and services for specialty crops producers and businesses in one convenient location.
Also, as part of the initiative, USDA published a Request for Information (RFI) in the Federal Register and collected feedback from U.S. specialty crops producers, businesses, and stakeholders on how USDA can better support and meet the needs of the industry. USDA has also conducted extensive outreach through in-person and virtual events with industry stakeholders to gain feedback.
The department is now reviewing all the feedback to determine next steps to conduct a gap analysis to address where USDA services can be enhanced. Outcomes will be communicated back to the specialty crops industry. We look forward to sharing the results with you.
The Resource Directory and additional information is available at: USDA.gov/Specialty-Crops.
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AMS SCP INTERNATIONAL STANDARDIZATION ACTIVITIES SERVING U.S. AGRICULTURE
By Robin Chilton, Chief, Standardization Branch
robin.chilton@usda.gov
The Specialty Crops Program (SCP) participates in international standardization activities in support of U.S. producers and exporters of Specialty Crops, which in 2023 was valued at over $23 million. The activities help mitigate effects of quality standards and/or certification processes being developed or revised internationally that can restrict existing or deny new market access to U.S. agricultural exports. This is achieved through our participation in international and regional meetings of intergovernmental standard development organizations (Codex and UNECE), foreign national and regional standardization training workshops, providing technical assistance, and advising foreign countries and industry groups. This allows us to promote and educate people on U.S. standardization practices and develop relationships that help quickly resolve specialty crop quality disputes arising from trade.
AMS SCP Fiscal Year International Standardization Successes
New and revised UNECE standards were completed this year through active engagement at the UNECE Specialized Sections meetings in Genva. New standards for inshell pecans and pecan kernels were completed and standards for asparagus, broccoli, kiwifruits, onions, pears, sweet chestnuts, cashew kernels were each revised. New work began on the revision of inshell almonds, almond kernels, blanched almond kernels and dried tomatoes.
At the seventh session of the Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH7) recently held in India, the U.S. led Group Standard for spices derived from dried fruits and berries was completed. Standards for dried small cardamom and turmeric were also completed, and the draft vanilla standard was advanced and should be completed at CCSCH8. Additionally, AMS SCP actively participated in the Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (CCFFV) through electronic working groups. Although the Codex Committee on Processed Fruits and Vegetables (CCPFV) is currently adjourned, technical assistance was provided to U.S. delegations to Codex General subject committees along with the 28th Session of the Committee on Fats and Oils.
The international standardization efforts are being led by Dorian LaFond. Dorian has served as the International Standards Coordinator for AMS SCP since 2002. He also works with several USDA agencies and other U.S. government departments on international agricultural trade and development issues.
Dorian is the U.S. delegate to three Codex commodity committees and two UNECE specialized sections, one of which, he has been elected chairperson of for the past 15 consecutive years. He has worked with many developing countries in Africa, Central America, and the Caribbean on agriculture, agricultural trade, and development related issues.
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Dorian LaFond with International Standardization Partners, Jaime Lilo Executive Director. IOC (middle) and Spain’s Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas Puchades (right)
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SCP Newsletter Archives at Your Fingertips
By: Dana N. White, Office of the Deputy Administrator
To access the SCP newsletter archives click the following link: Specialty Crops Program Newsletter | Agricultural Marketing Service (usda.gov)
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