Press Release
Dairy Advocates Seek
Clarification on Domestic Food Programs Affected by World Trade Talks
WASHINGTON, DC (April 5, 2001) - Two
state lawmakers who advise the Dairy Trade Coalition (DTC) today asked
the leadership of the U.S. Senate and House Agriculture and Finance
Committees to clarify which federal nutrition programs, farm policy
options and other important domestic programs are threatened by the U.S.
trade negotiating position.
New York State Assemblyman Chris Ortloff
(R-110th Dist.) and Wisconsin State Rep. Joe Plouff (D-29th Dist.),
members of the DTC's Dairy Trade Advisory Council, made the request in letters
to Sens. Richard Lugar (R-IN), Tom Harkin (D-IA), Charles Grassley
(R-IA), Max Baucus (D-MT), Reps. Larry Combest (R-TX), Charles Stenholm
(D-TX), Bill Thomas (R-CA) and Charles Rangel (D-NY). In addition,
they wrote to USDA Secretary Ann Veneman and USTR Robert Zoelick.
"On behalf of the members of the
Dairy Trade Advisory Council (DTAC), we are writing to request your
assistance in ascertaining answers to some challenging issues which have
been the subject of a recent New York state news story published in the Watertown
Daily Times on March 25, 2001. Specifically, the article
reports that members of the Cairns Group, the European Union and
possibly other nations are preparing to challenge the legality of
several key domestic programs such as milk price supports, the Capper-Volstead
Act, etc.," Ortlof and Plouff said.
"This news report is consistent with
separate reports issued by Dairy Farmers of Canada and the Dutch
Dairy Association in recent years. The Canadian report
identified 99 U.S. programs as subsidies subject to challenge at the
World Trade Organization. These programs increased American
farmers' milk price by $5.63 per hundredweight, the Canadians
allege. The Dutch report reached similar conclusions - that
federal milk marketing orders, regional dairy compacts and other
programs may be illegal because they increase farm income and influence
farm production decisions in a trade-distorting manner," the two
officials said.
"The Canadian report suggests that
even federal feeding programs may be illegal under World Trade
Organization rules. The Women, Infants and Children Program and
other federal nutrition and feeding programs are important to the well
being of many low-income American families. Our request for
guidance from you is straightforward. Specifically, what important
domestic programs, including nutrition programs, federal farm policy
options and even farmer cooperatives, are at risk as agricultural trade
negotiations continue in Geneva?," they continued.
DTC Executive Director Mario Castillo
said, "Rep. Plouff and Assemblyman Ortloff deserve much credit for
raising the tough questions that need asking now on behalf of their
rural and urban constituents. These courageous leaders are
standing up for family farmers, consumers and others who have no voice
in the process. Our citizens deserve a much clearer explanation of
what they stand to gain and lose under the WTO agriculture negotiations
as the talks continue in Geneva."
"If Canadian and other foreign trade
negotiators are going to take aim at vital programs like food stamps,
WIC, senior nutrition and others, the public needs to know it sooner,
rather than later," said Assemblyman Ortloff. "Our U.S.
trade representatives need to know who seriously concerned we at the
state and local level will be if our concerns are true."
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