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5-6-10 Focus- Trade Agreements

 
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Hi this is Nebraska
Farm Bureau's Ag News Now Radio Service, I’m Tina Henderson.



 



Now here is a
suggested lead-in to our focus program.



 



Back
in Jan. the President set a goal of doubling our exports over the next five
years, which he said would support two million new jobs. Farmer sand ranchers
say a great place to start would be for Congress to pass pending free trade
agreements. Nebraska Farm Bureau’s Tina Henderson tells us more in the
following report.



The
report runs 1:55.



 



Now for our report,
on the count in 3...2...1...



 



MAY
IS WORLD TRADE MONTH.  SO WHAT’S THE HOLD
UP WITH THREE FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS THAT COULD BRING BILLIONS TO THE U.S.
ECONOMY?



 



STALLMAN
(AFBF President): CONGRESS CONTINUES TO DRAG ITS FEET.  IT’S TIME TO PUT THE POLITICS ASIDE AND PASS
THE COLOMBIA, PANAMA AND KOREA FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS.  AFBF ESTIMATES THAT THESE THREE FTA’S
COMBINED REPRESENT ALMOST $2.5 BILLION IN ADDITIONAL EXPORTS FOR U.S.
AGRICULTURE, BUT THAT’S ONLY GOING TO HAPPEN IF THEY ARE IMPLEMENTED.



 



AT
A PRESS CONFERENCE WITH OTHER AGRICULTURAL GROUPS, AMERICAN FARM BUREAU
PRESIDENT BOB STALLMAN SAID CONGRESS’S INACTION MEANS FARMERS AND RANCHERS ARE
LOSING OUT ON EXPORT MARKETS.



 



STALLMAN:
      THE U.S. IS SEEING ALL AROUND US A
PROLIFERATION OF FTA’S BEING NEGOTIATED OR ALREADY NEGOTIATED INCREASING OUR COMPETITORS
EXPORT POTENTIAL AND PUTTING U.S. AGRICULTURE AT A DISADVANTAGE.  OUR EXPORT SITUATION WITH COLOMBIA IS A
PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE WILL EXPERIENCE IF WE DON’T PASS THESE AGREEMENTS.  BETWEEN 2008 AND 2009 WE HAVE SEEN ALMOST A
50 PERCENT DROP IN OUR EXPORTS.  IN 2008
THEY WERE $1.6 BILLION.  IN 2009, $960
MILLION.  THIS YEAR HASN’T STARTED OFF
ANY BETTER.  USDA EXPORT DATA SHOWS THAT
OUR EXPORTS FOR JANUARY AND FEBRUARY COMPARED TO THE SAME TIME PERIOD LAST YEAR
ARE RUNNING AT A MINUS-ELEVEN PERCENT. 
THE UNITED STATES HAS BEEN THE TOP AGRICULTURAL EXPORTER IN
COLOMBIA.  WE ARE SEEING OUR MARKET SHARE
BEING TAKEN BY OUR TRADING PARTNERS.  WHY
HAS THIS HAPPENED?  WELL, IT’S BECAUSE
OUR COMPETITORS ARE GETTING IN WITH TRADE AGREEMENTS BEFORE THE UNITED STATES
DOES.



 



AND
STALLMAN SAYS THAT’S A LOSS FOR MORE THAN JUST FARMERS AND RANCHERS.



 



STALLMAN:
      THERE ARE JOBS BEYOND RURAL AMERICA
AT STAKE AS WELL, FROM THE PROCESSOR AND THE PACKER, TO THE TRANSPORTATION
WORKER AND THE LONGSHOREMEN.  USDA
ESTIMATES THAT FOR EVERY BILLION IN EXPORTS, IT SUPPORTS 9000 JOBS HERE IN THE
UNITED STATES.



 



Visit
Nebraska Farm Bureau’s website to get additional agriculture news you need at www.nefb.org. Reporting for Nebraska Farm Bureau I’m Tina
Henderson.



 



Thanks
for listening!