Vilsack Visit Part 2

Vilsack Visit Part 2. I'm Greg Martin with today's Line On Agriculture. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack was in Portland last week to discuss USDA programs to help boost rural jobs. I had the opportunity to chat with Secretary Vilsack about his visit but my first question was about what was being done to resolve the Mexico tariff issue on U.S. products including northwest fruit and potatoes. VILSACK: As you know it emanates from the concern some have about the safety of Mexican trucking coming in from Mexico into the United States both in terms of the equipment used and the hours of service as well as border security issues and Secretary LaHood continues to negotiate and discuss if you will with his Mexican counterpart how we might be able to ensure that the equipment that is being used in the Mexican trucks is safe, how we can ensure that Mexican drivers are not driving a disproportionate number of hours so that they create some hazards. But the biggest question for ag producers is "when." VILSACK: My view is that this is going to get worked out. I'd like to tell you it's going to get worked out next week; I don't know that that's the case but I am certain that we are going to be working very hard to get this thing resolved. We understand and appreciate the difficulties that these tariffs are creating for many producers and as Mexico ratchets up the pressure by including pork and other issues it's obviously got widespread impact. During the visit he toured the Oregon Food Bank with Congressmen Kurt Schrader, Earl Blumenauer and David Wu. VILSACK: The reality is we've got two issues now. We've got to recover from this deep recession and help people get through these tough times to better times and one of the ways we do that is provide food assistance and it comes in many forms. It can come in the form of the SNAP program which is our former food stamp program which we've seen a dramatic increase in the number of people participating in that. It's now over 40 million Americans. But it's also food banks. Emergency areas where people who frankly stretch their food dollars as far as they possibly can but at the end of the month they simply run out, they need help and fortunately we've got food banks and assistance from the USDA and get food to folks who are desperately in need of it. The Oregon Food Bank has received over $1.8 million in Recovery Act grants to assist with the purchase of bulk foods and administrative costs. That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.