Tom Harkin: “one of the most difficult issues I have had to face as manager of S. 510 is the balance between small growers and…”

“one of the most difficult issues I have had to face as manager of S. 510 is the balance between small growers and processors and larger producers and food companies. This is always a tough issue in agriculture. Those of us who work with our food system know that one size does not fit all. It is always hard to get it right. In this case, I know that some of my colleagues think the Tester-sponsored language goes too far to help small growers and processors. I don't think we have, and here is why I say that. There are some very important limitations on the Tester provisions in S. 510. First, small businesses as we define them here are really small--a company that does $500,000 of sales a year is very small. We can't say exactly how much food these small companies sell, but here is a good example that shows how small these eligible companies are: The smallest member of the California League of Food Processors reports between $2.5 and $3 million a year in sales or five times as much as any company eligible under the Tester provisions. Second, many food companies that buy product from eligible producers will tell them: Hey I want you to follow FDA regulations. I want all my suppliers to follow FDA rules. Some may even require their suppliers to do more than FDA requires. That decision is part of a private contractual relationship. This bill does not affect these arrangements.”