California kiwifruit growers' federal marketing funds double
WASHINGTON – Uncle Sam is doubling down on an investment in California kiwifruit, with a new boost in funding for overseas ads and marketing.
Illustrating how taxpayers support Central Valley growers, the Agriculture De- partment is giving the California Kiwifruit Commission $321,800 to spur exports. The new payment is a record for the commission based in Sacramento, and nearly twice what the kiwifruit growers received last year.
The public funding underwrites many kinds of marketing efforts. California winemakers, for instance, host foreign wine writers on all- expense-paid tours of wine-grape regions. Other money pays for cooking contests, television ads and store displays. In some cases, it pays for foreign travel by California-based industry leaders.
Formerly based in Fresno, the California Kiwifruit Commission is still a relatively modest recipient of the federal market access funds. Citrus giant Sunkist Growers, for instance, was awarded $4.2 million for its overseas work this year, while the California Prune Board received $3.1 million.
California-based farm groups this year are taking at least one-quarter of this year's funding, with the state's wineries, table grapes, walnuts and raisins among the big winners.
The farm bill provides $200 million in market access funding annually over the next five years. Originally, California growers had wanted more. A farm package last year by Rep. Dennis Cardoza, D-Merced, would have provided $350 million annually.
Skeptics have called the program corporate welfare for the likes of winemaking behemoth E&J Gallo Winery, and some economists have questioned its effectiveness.
Congress responded to past criticism by changing the program's name several times and tightening some requirements.
Something worked. This year, unlike in previous farm bills, no lawmaker attempted to cut the funds.
California accounts for nearly all of the nation's kiwifruit production, valued at about $36 million annually. Domestic consumption is considerably lower than in other countries, like Italy and Spain.
About 38 percent of the California kiwi crop is exported.