11/19/08 Ag Secretary on Changes

Ag Secretary on Changes. I'm Greg Martin with today's Line On Agriculture. Outgoing Ag Secretary Ed Schafer opened this years National Association of Farm Broadcasters convention in Kansas City, Missouri. He says that the world marketplace is primed and ready. SCHAFER: The new global marketplace has emerged, and it's centered on one billion new middle class consumers in developing countries like Mexico and India and China. They're driving strong demand for grains, but also for our beef and pork, and for chicken, for our dairy and processed food products as well. And these are markets that America's farmers and ranchers are well-positioned to serve. All they need is fair access and a level playing field with our foreign markets. And that's why President Bush has consistently made expanding free trade one of his highest priorities. Free trade has been a key issue in the past according to Schafer. SCHAFER: Results from our nation's past efforts in that arena have been impressive. In 1994 when North American Free Trade Agreement created a free trade zone covering the United States, Canada and Mexico our agriculture exports to those countries were about $10 billion a year. Today Canada and Mexico rank as our two largest markets for agriculture goods, and our total exports to them will reach $30 billion this year. He says that agriculture has been a big winner of free trade. SCHAFER: All in all, this administration has negotiated 17 free trade agreements. The trade agreements we now have in place have opened the door for market-share gains by American producers in agriculture and in other sectors as well. Schafer says he is hearing the same things you and I are. SCHAFER: So the question for the next president is whether we continue to seek wider market opportunities for our producers or pull back. You know, there are a lot of isolationists out there, people who have the mistaken idea that somehow we are sheltered from the global economy. And I readlike youthat in the last election that those anti-trade folks have gained seats in Congress. They are going to work toward moving us backward on our trade agreement, and if they prevail it will be bad for U.S. agriculture. That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.