Next up, Mr. Logan Brown, New Jersey Department of Agriculture.

MR. BROWN: Good afternoon. I want to thank our host and distinguished panel for the invitation to speak here today and reassure my friends in the audience that there's not going to be a large Jersey Fresh promotional display dropping from the ceiling or any large promotional slides displayed.

That being said, my name is Logan Brown. I'm an agricultural marketing specialist for the New Jersey Department of Agriculture.

Others fare more expert than myself in matters pertaining to sanitary and phytosanitary relations have already addressed this session. However, this matter is of such importance that I feel it necessary to join in the chorus of voices.

Whereas legitimate phytosanitary regulations serve as a valuable tool to regulate the safety of imported produce all around the world, improperly established and unwarranted phytosanitary regulations are one of the greatest concerns facing the export of New Jersey agricultural products.

More rigorous evaluations need to establish the legitimacy of phytosanitary standards regulating the international trade of agricultural products.

The following three considerations should guide the process in determining the legitimacy of phytosanitary and sanitary standards.

One, phytosanitary standards need to be based on legitimate and biologically defensible claims.

Two, phytosanitary standards need to be risk-based, not merely established based on the ability to identify or even the ability to measure a potentially harmful substance or organism.

And lastly, we do have to keep in mind that phytosanitary standards do need to be used but as a scientific tool to ensure better food safety for all of the world's trading partners.

If phytosanitary standards cannot meet any of the three above criteria and, in effect, the standards serve merely a punitive or economically protectionist function, then they meet the definition of improperly established and unwarranted phytosanitary standards. Such improperly established and unwarranted phytosanitary standards that negatively affect international commerce and regulatory products should be adjusted or abolished altogether.

Thank you for your time.

UNDER SECRETARY SCHUMACHER: Thank you. Give my regards to Mr. Brown. And we appreciate the Jersey Fresh flag not flowing out of the rotunda here.

MR. BROWN: They wouldn't let me use the slide.

UNDER SECRETARY SCHUMACHER: Just a quick question. How much money has your legislature appropriated for your promotional programs both Jersey Fresh domestic and internationally?

MR. BROWN: Currently, we really don't have an international budget. It's limited to supporting New Jersey companies at the food export showcase in Chicago. But domestically, the Jersey Fresh program maintains funding of about between 1.1 and $1.2 million on average. And it's been sustained at that level for probably 15 to 18 years. So it certainly is an institution, an institution to the taxpayers, legislature and certainly the current governor supports it. And it's been very successful.

We actually use it in Canada as well. Of course, my French isn't that good, Jorshay, or something like that is the equivalent. Because about 15 percent of our fresh market production goes to Canada.

UNDER SECRETARY SCHUMACHER: Very interesting.  Secretary, I made little mistake when I was commissioner. I decided I would challenge Massachusetts and New Jersey to a tomato taste-off in the farmers market called Green Markets in New York. And we came in third.

MR. BROWN: Not surprising. I know that some of the --

UNDER SECRETARY SCHUMACHER: Truth in consumer.

MR. BROWN: Some of the protocol sellers aren't interested in handling tomatoes, particularly in Massachusetts. They think of them as being a inferior quality product because it's the real thing that is shipped. So we've got the market here fresh for our tomatoes.

UNDER SECRETARY SCHUMACHER: Thank you very much.