NCGA Representatives
Named to USDA Agricultural Trade Advisory Committees (9-08-05)
The National Corn
Growers Association (NCGA) will be represented on two agricultural
trade advisory committees that have members of the private sector
act in an advisory role on trade issues to the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR).
Leon Corzine,
NCGA president and corn grower from Assumption, Ill., was named to
Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee for trade (APAC), and Ron Litterer,
NCGA Corn Board member and corn grower from Greene, Iowa, and June
Silverberg, NCGA director of public policy, were appointed to the
Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee (ATAC) for Trade in Grains,
Feed and Oilseeds.
NCGA CEO Rick
Tolman said committee members play an active role as advisors and
are tightly screened and selected, adding there are always more applicants
than slots available. “It is quite remarkable that NCGA has
two members on the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee, as well
as a slot on Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee for Trade,”
he said. “This is a tribute to the quality of candidates that
we have to submit and a tribute to our organizational reputation.”
The APAC provides
the secretary of agriculture and the USTR advice and information on
negotiating objectives, bargaining positions and other matters related
to the development, implementation and administration of U.S. agricultural
trade policy. There are six ATACs, which offer technical advice and
information on specific commodities.
The six ATACs
are:
•
Animals and Animal Products;
• Fruits and Vegetables;
• Grains, Feed and Oilseeds;
• Processed Foods;
• Sweeteners and Sweetener Products;
• Tobacco, Cotton, Peanuts, and Planting Seeds
Tolman also stated
agriculture is in a time where trade negotiations continue to be critical
and having representation on these advisory committees is significant
for corn producers.
“We are
moving into a critical juncture with the World Trade Organization
discussions,” he said. “Our ATAC and APAC representatives
will be in a position to reflect the sense of corn producers on issues
of critical impact directly to our trade negotiators. These positions
give them direct access to the negotiators and key policy makers in
USDA and USTR.”
He added, “NCGA's
voice and the voice of U.S. corn producers will be heard and carry
appropriate weight in our bilateral trade negotiations and in the
critical discussions that will be occurring in December in Hong Kong
as the Doha Round wraps up.”
As part of the
two agricultural policy committees, NCGA representatives will have
a direct voice on agriculture issues, including the impact of the
U.S. position on the domestic farm policy; the impact on the competitive
position in trade; and the impact on the domestic markets that will
be discussed over the next 24 months.
“NCGA will bring a different perspective,” Tolman said.
“While trade is very important to our corn industry, our representatives
will bring a perspective on our domestic markets as well and can reflect
on the impact of trade positions and options on our international
competitiveness and the impact on our domestic markets.”
Congress established
the advisory committees in 1974 to ensure a private-sector voice in
establishing U.S. agricultural trade policy objectives to reflect
U.S. commercial and economic interests. USDA and USTR jointly manage
the committees.