The Senate Ag Appropriations Subcommittee approved the FY 2007 ag appropriations bill. The legislation provides for $18.2 billion in discretionary funds and $76.379 billion in mandatory funds (including farm program payments and food stamps). Key items include:

• Food Safety and Inspection Service -- $865.905 million, an increase of $36.527 million over FY '06.
  
• Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service -- funded at $900.423 million
  
• Ag Marketing Service -- funded at $101.429 million.
  
• Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration -- funded at $38.737 million.
  
• Avian influenza programs -- fully funded at $56.730 million.
  
• Resource conservation and development program -- funded at $50.7 million.
  
• Wetlands Reserve Program -- authorized at 250,000 acres.
  
• Child nutrition programs -- funded at $13.654 billion.
  
• Commodity Assistance Program -- $179.366 million.
  
• Market Access Program -- fully funded at $200 million.
  
• Foreign Market Development -- fully funded at $34.5 million
  
• No user fees for meat and poultry inspection.
  
• Requests a Government Accountability Office report on USDA's animal ID program.

-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C., correspondent