Senator Charles Grassley wants the USDA to help hog farmers out of their current financial crisis. The Iowa Republican is asking the agency to buy an extra $100 million worth of pork for the federal food program.
On the trade front, Grassley says U.S. pork producers would be better served if Congress would finalize pending free trade agreement s with countries, such as South Korea, Columbia and Panama, which have a high demand for pork. He also wants World Trade Organization intervention to end the Chinese import ban on U.S. pork.
“And we can do that with a clear conscience because the OIE (the international animal health governing body) has said that our pork is safe,” Grassley told reporters Tuesday during a conference call. “And so there’s an unscientific embargo of our pork into China, which is against the WTO rules.”
AUDIO: Charles Grassley (4 min. MP3)
China quit importing U.S. hogs citing worries about the H1N1 flu virus, which Grassley says goes back to common mistaken media references to the ailment.
Grassley praises U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack’s planned trip to China, calling it a good faith effort by the administration to clear up the trade issue.
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