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December 7, 2001

AFBF lauds launch of trade talks

The American Farm Bureau has welcomed an agreement reached by 142 countries to launch global trade talks in the World Trade Organization.

"The launch of international trade talks in the WTO is a critical step in improving the global outlook for U.S. agriculture," said AFBF President Bob Stallman. "As a result of today's commitment to commence worldwide negotiations, we can begin to tackle the barriers to trade that block our entry into foreign markets and create unfair advantages for our competitors."

Stallman said American agriculture has several major goals for the negotiations.

"We will use these WTO negotiations to end EU export subsidies and reduce trade-distorting domestic supports that place our producers at a global disadvantage," he asserted.

Farmers and ranchers, said Stallman, also want the negotiations to result in elimination of "the tariff disparities that allow our competitors nearly unfettered access in our market but erect insurmountable barriers to our exports."

The farm leader praised U.S. negotiators "who worked tirelessly on our behalf to bring home an agreement to rewrite the trade rules in our favor."

Stallman also noted the importance of enacting Trade Promotion Authority to ensure that the global negotiations are successful.

"Granting Trade Promotion Authority to President Bush is still a necessary piece of the puzzle to make sure that the WTO negotiations can reach a successful conclusion in an expedited time frame. If we languish in granting this important tool to the president, U.S. agriculture will suffer," he said.

Meanwhile, Stallman hailed the formal accessions of China and Taiwan to the World Trade Organization.

"China and Taiwan's membership to the WTO is an important victory for U.S. agriculture," he said. "Taiwan if the fifth and China is the sixth largest customer for U.S. agricultural goods today.

"We expect to see our food and agricultural exports grow annually by $2 billion to China and $500 million to Taiwan as a result of their membership to WTO."

Supreme Court rejects
beef promo challenge

The U.S. Supreme Court recently rejected a free-speech challenge to the "Beef: It's What's For Dinner" advertising campaign by a cattleman seeking to avoid paying fees to help fund the ads.

The justices, without comment, refused to question a federal appeals court decision upholding a USDA order that Jerry Goetz pay $137,000 in back fees and penalties.

The beef ads are under focus following a 6-3 Supreme Court ruling in June that struck down a USDA advertising program for the mushroom industry. A separate challenge to the beef program is pending in a federal trial court in South Dakota. The Justice Department asked the Supreme Court to reject Goetz's appeal. The government said the mushroom ruling does not necessarily mean the beef promotion system is unconstitutional.

The justices said the $2.65 million mushroom program was different because it was not part of a broader government effort to regulate that market.

Animal health funds lacking

A study by the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) shows inadequate government funding has left federal animal health programs "outdated and ill-prepared" if a highly contagious foreign animal disease hits the U.S.

NASDA's 11-month analysis of the federal programs—including laboratories, border inspectors and communication systems—found that hundreds of millions of dollars in new spending is needed in order to protect against foreign animal disease.

The study said, "Infrastructure inadequacies, especially in terms of staffing and facilities, are now so deep that the (USDA) system cannot appropriately respond to a severe animal health crisis."

Ag Secretary Ann Veneman and other USDA officials have emphasized the department's preparedness in the event of any bioterrorism attack. The department points to its success in keeping the highly contagious foot-and-mouth disease and BSE from entering the U.S. However, USDA Deputy Secretary Jim Moseley last week in testimony before Congress said improvements are needed at animal health facilities in Ames, Iowa; Plum Island, N.Y.; and Athens, Ga.

Japan to cull cows

Japan's Agriculture Ministry has announced it will slaughter all of the 5,000-plus cattle that had been fed meat-and-bone meal, a suspected cause of mad cow disease in Japan and in other countries. Japanese officials recently confirmed a second case of mad cow disease. Japanese consumers have reacted strongly to the mad cow findings, with beef sales falling by more than 50 percent since the first cow tested positive.

Notable Quotables

"At first, I chuckled at it. But it does what you want. People remember it. It's like a stupid commercial on television. People will be talking about it around the water cooler on Monday morning."

—Three time ARCA Champion Frank Kimmel, who is helping to raise the profile of pork by driving a car sponsored by the National Pork Board. Kimmel's car and uniform are adorned with the slogan "Pork—The Other White Meat." After the race Kimmel's team pigs out on barbeque and hands out gold pins shaped like a hog.

"People will laugh a little bit about it, but they're talking about it and you're writing about it."

–Atlanta Speedway President Ed Clark, in noting the ribbing he took for naming a recent race the Pork the Other White Meat 400. The race was also sponsored by the National Pork Board.