FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 20, 2005

Joint A-Team Meets with Key Officials on Trade Mission to Geneva

WASHINGTON, DC (June 20, 2005) – The Joint Trade Policy A-Team, comprised of members from the U.S. Grains Council (USGC), National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), National Grain Sorghum Producers and the National Barley Growers Association, met with key representatives of World Trade Organization (WTO) countries and with top WTO agricultural officials during a two-day, joint-trade policy trip to Geneva, Switzerland, earlier this month.

Delegates from the organizations stressed their support and the support of their members for the U.S. position in the agricultural negotiations, emphasizing the need for a strong market access package in the Doha Round of the WTO negotiations.

Members of the team include: A-Team Leader Dan Kidd of the Montana Wheat and Barley Committee; Richard Peterson of the Minnesota Corn Research and Promotion Council; Bill Greving of the National Grain Sorghum Producers; Bob Bowman and Alan Peters, both of the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA); and staff members Kevin Natz of USGC and June Silverberg of NCGA.

Multiple discussions centered on the team’s support of the U.S. negotiators and their strong push for an ambitious market access package in any final agreement. According to the organizations’ representatives, without practical increases in market access, it will be difficult for the Bush administration to convince Congress that the agreement works for U.S. farmers and ranchers and the administration will not be able to justify a trade off of reduced domestic supports. The groups also talked about the course of future negotiations, export competition and domestic support issues.

“We had very productive meetings with several country agriculture counselors and ambassadors as well as World Trade Organization (WTO) officials and Tim Groser, chairman of the Agriculture Negotiations,” said Dan Kidd, leader of the joint USGC-NCGA A-Team and member of Montana Wheat and Barley Committee. “Our talks also centered on export competition reforms and domestic supports.”

A-Team members also expressed concerns regarding implications of the Central American-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) on the WTO negotiations if Congress failed to approve the agreement. CAFTA-DR is viewed as an important test case for the U.S. commitment to trade liberalization.

“Our small group spent two intensive days in Geneva meeting with country representatives to the WTO as well as top agricultural officials,” said Bob Bowman A-Team member and NCGA representative. “The most urgent message we heard was relating to CAFTA-DR. Time and time again, we heard that the defeat of CAFTA would ring loudly in the WTO and would indicate that the United States is not serious about trade.”

The organizations met with an extensive group of officials during their visit. Those include Dave Shark, U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission; and Mary Revelt, Agricultural Counselor; Frank Wolter, Director, WTO Agricultural Division; Tim Groser, Chairman of the WTO Agriculture Committee; Makoto Osawa, Japanese Ag Counselor; Sebastian Herreros, Chilean Ag Counselor; David Spencer, Australian Ambassador; Izabel Vieira, Brazilian Counselor; Mr. Li Enheng, Deputy Chief of Mission, Chinese Mission to the WTO; Pam Cooper, Ag Counselor Canadian Mission; and Mr. Rajesh Aggarwal, Indian Ag Counselor.

The National Corn Growers Association mission is to create and increase opportunities for corn growers. NCGA represents nearly 33,000 members, 26 affiliated state corn grower organizations and hundreds of thousands of growers who contribute to state checkoff programs.

ST. LOUIS OFFICE

WASHINGTON D.C. OFFICE