Federal Financial Aid to Apple Industry Defended

WASHINGTON — The apple industry, hurt by the Alar scare, deserved federal help as much as other producers who benefit from farm programs, Agriculture Secretary Clayton K. Yeutter said today.

“The case is just as compelling,” Yeutter told reporters in explaining why his department decided to provide up to $15 million to compensate apple growers.

The money will cover the cost of taking apples out of storage and giving them to organizations, such as food banks, that request them. Industry and Agriculture Department officials met today to work out details of the program.

Yeutter, who emphasized that the government was not buying the apples, said the government would not test them for Alar residues. He repeated his belief that apples are safe to eat and “I would have no hesitancy in consuming apples that are not Alar free.”