News

Vilsack marks ‘hog lift’ anniversary

During his recent trip to Japan, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack helped commemorate the 50th anniversary of a 1959 “hog lift”. At that time, Iowa farmers sent 36 hogs to Yamanashi Prefecture after Japan suffered major livestock losses from typhoons.

“That relationship which started here in Yamanashi has actually led to the formulation of the U.S. Grains Council and an extensive amount of trade that’s taken place between the two countries over the last 50 years,” said Vilsack in a phone call to Brownfield from Yamanashi.

Vilsack says the sister-state friendship between Iowa and Yamanashi inspires cooperation and work toward mutual prosperity and economic health.

“I think it’s important and necessary for us to reinvigorate these relationships to see if there are ways in which we can expand trade,” said Vilsack, “and I’m hopeful with enough patience and time and work, that we can get some positive movement on beef at some point in time.”

Although the Vilsack trade mission failed to secure an agreement from Japan to relax restrictions on beef from the U.S., Japan is the United States’ third largest export market with sales of more than $11 billion in 2009.

Because of fears about BSE, Japan limits beef imports from the U.S. to cattle 20 months of age or younger.