NCGA President Gerald Tumbleson testified before the House Agriculture Committee on Wednesday in Washington, D.C., on NCGA’s position regarding the World Trade Organization Doha Round trade talks.

NCGA Testimony Emphasizes Need for Market Access in Doha Round (11-3-05)

National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) President Gerald Tumbleson testified before the House Agriculture Committee yesterday afternoon about the role corn can play in the world and the necessity for fair market access as a part of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Doha Round talks.

Tumbleson commended Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns and U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman for their leadership in revitalizing the trade talks. NCGA supports trade initiatives and realizes the benefits that it offers to corn growers and livestock producers.

However, Tumbleson stressed NCGA and farmers need a guarantee that equal market access is part of any trade deal.

“We must emphasize that our support is conditional,” Tumbleson said. “The U.S. proposals on domestic support would require fundamental changes in U.S. farm programs. We can only agree to such changes in the context of an agreement that offer substantial improvements in market access for U.S. exports; the elimination of export subsidies; substantial reductions in trade-distorting support by our competitors; and preserving an effective safety net for U.S. producers.”

Tumbleson also talked about the need for the European Union to accept new biotech corn traits.
“The EU moratorium on approval of new biotech traits is blatantly WTO-inconsistent because it lacks a scientific justification,” Tumbleson said. “We must aggressively defend current and future market access by insisting that trading partners respect WTO rules.”

Tumbleson was one of several people to testify. Johanns and Portman also testified at the hearing.