News
Time to approve FTA’s
Groups representing various segments of agriculture are calling on Congress to take action on three pending free trade agreements, with Columbia, Panama and South Korea and how appropriate that the call is being made at the beginning of May, World Trade Month.
Don Butler, past president of the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) is calling for Congress to take prompt action.
“The FTA’s with Panama, Columbia and South Korea, which would eliminate tariffs on U.S. pork and other products, when combined would add more than $11.00 to the price producers in the United States received for each hog marketed,” said Butler.
Audio: Don Butler, NPPC (7:00 MP3)
Dale Shuler, past president of the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) says what’s concerning are the consequences if the FTS’s aren’t approved, consider he says Columbia, where U.S. wheat producers currently have a 70 percent market share, without the FTA.
“It could drop as low as 30 percent or worse if the U.S. does not ratify this free trade agreement,” Schuler said.
Audio: Dale Schuler, NAWG (4:20 MP3)
And Bob Stallman, President of the American Farm Bureau (AFBF) says the time has come to put politics aside and approve the agreements before the U.S. is put even further behind.
“It is time to move forward, it is time to ratify these FTA’s, for the benefit of more jobs in this country, for the benefit of our national economy and for the benefit of agriculture’s need for market access,” said Stallman.
Audio: Bob Stallman, AFBF (3:20 MP3)
Audio: Steve Foglesong, NCBA (7:20 MP3)
Audio: Chip Bowling, NCGA (3:55 MP3)
Hold it guys keep dairy out of the picture. I for one don’t believe that my industry can take one more body blow from the wonders of free trade