NCGA
Vice President Joins Ag Leaders in CAFTA-DR Event (4-22-05)
National Corn
Growers Association (NCGA) Vice President Gerald Tumbleson today
joined the Secretary of Agriculture and other key agriculture industry
leaders at a roundtable discussion on the benefits of the Central
American Dominican Republic (CAFTA-DR) free trade agreement at the
St. Paul, Minn., Chamber of Commerce.
Speaking at the event,
Tumbleson expressed the importance of CAFTA to corn growers, U.S.
agriculture and to Minnesota. “I cannot stress enough the
importance of the CAFTA-DR free trade agreement to this nation’s
corn growers,” Tumbleson said. “Agriculture is more
dependent on trade than any other sector of the U.S. economy. Eighteen
percent of U.S. corn is exported, and exports of value-added corn
and co-products add to the importance of world markets to corn growers.
Exports of farm products such as corn will aid in boosting Minnesota
farm prices and income.”
NCGA has publicly
supported the CAFTA-DR Free Trade Agreement saying that corn growers
rely on trade for market access and sales, so it is especially important
in improving competitiveness abroad. NCGA is part of the Agriculture
Coalition for CAFTA-DR which supports negotiating trade agreements
that minimize costs and maximize benefits to U.S. farmers. The coalition
is comprised of more than 55 food and agricultural organizations
committed to quick passage of CAFTA-DR.
Secretary Johanns
also supports CAFTA-DR saying that America’s producers will
be the winners of this trade agreement. “This sometimes gets
lost in the debate, but CAFTA nations already have access to the
U.S. market, already have access, and 99 percent of their products
enter the United States duty-free under other agreements. But under
CAFTA we are likely to double U.S. exports to these countries."
Tumbleson emphasized
the importance of trade to his home state of Minnesota, saying that
the implementation of the CAFTA-DR will increase all of Minnesota’s
agriculture exports. “Agreements like CAFTA will support approximately
41,080 Minnesota jobs on and off the farm in food processing, storage,
and transportation while boosting our local economy,” he said.
According to
the U.S. Department of Agriculture, CAFTA-DR countries continue
to impose high tariffs and other barriers on most agricultural products,
including Minnesota’s key exports.
Tumbleson firmly
stated that the CAFTA-DR must be a true free, fair and level trade
deal. ”CAFTA-DR would not only provide a significant boost
to the farm economy nationwide to the total of nearly $600 million
dollars worth of benefits for U.S. agriculture, but will benefit
all of Minnesota’s farmers. CAFTA is good for U.S. agriculture;
it is good for the United States. And it is good for Minnesota,”
he said.
For more information
on CAFTA-DR please click on the following link http://www.fas.usda.gov/itp/CAFTA/cafta.html.