Allen Jennings, the acting director of USDA's recently created Office of Pest Management, said much pesticide use on small-acreage "minor crops" appears to be "in trouble" under the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996, which imposed new safety considerations for pesticide uses on food (WFRR Vol. 6, No. 4, p. 20).

One of the challenges facing USDA is developing "safe alternatives" for pesticide uses on food crops that are eaten disproportionately by children, Jennings said. The 1996 law requires new safety considerations for infants and children when setting tolerances; These considerations can lead, in certain situations, to a tenfold reduction of the allowable residue of a pesticide from all sources in the diet.

"Our priorities need to focus on the kids' foods," Jennings said.

More Public Participation Desired

USDA announced the creation of the Office of Pest Management in September. At that time, Deputy Agriculture Secretary Richard Rominger said the new office was part of USDA's coordinated approach to pesticide issues for small-acreage or minor uses -- a category that includes many fruit, vegetable, and ornamental crops.

Jennings, who is on detail from EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs, said the office he heads at USDA currently has no staff, although he envisions hiring 11 or 12 people.

Jennings said that the new USDA office was created because the minor crop farmers and other growers felt USDA "was not well-organized to serve their needs." He said the office needs more public participation -- from farmers, consumers, and other interested parties--in the USDA pesticide programs. "We need to hear more input" in shaping USDA's pesticide-related priorities, Jennings said.