Industry Leaders To Consider Positions On International Trade VERNON ACHENBACH JR. Lancaster Fanning Staff HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.) Representatives from most major dairy industry and other commodity and support organizations with ties to Pennsyl vania met Wednesday with a rep resentative of U.S. Sen. Harris Wofford, D-Bryn Mawr, in a room at the state agriculture building in Harrisburg to discuss positions on international trade. The meeting was the first of what Russell Redding, special assistant and agricultural policy advisor to Wofford, said may result in an ongoing roundtable between his office and Pennsylva nia agricultural organizations. Redding had called the meeting specifically to address the federal program of trade preferences for developing nations called the Gen eralized System of Preferences (GSP). As a program, the GSP is up for review this year. Depending on fact finding and testimony, it may be abolished, continued, or amended. Currently through this program, any of 130 eligible counties may petition the United States to have all trade barriers removed, except for normal customs control. The reason for the meeting was partially because of a nationally publicized problem with import Producers (Continued from Pago A3l) • J. Kenneth Miller. Miller farms in partner ship with son Kervin, and operates under Maple brink Farms. He milks 8S cows and has 155 head of young cattle. Miller owns two farms, for a tot al of 175 acres, and rents an additional 150 acres. Also, new producers were recognized. They are Richard C. Elliot, Gary L. Mase, Lawrence Z. Good, Brookshire Farm (Dennis L. Stoner and Jay M. Good), Marvin S. Nolt, Jay M. Martin, Earl J 5. Weaver, R. Bryan Balmer, Richard'L. Myers, Gary Forney, David Heagy, Robert and Linda Sensenig, Jay and Mildred Nisslcy, and Wilson L. Eberly. Top 10 producers for fiscal year 1992 arc Ken neth G. Zurin (3.7 million pounds), John Landis (5.3 million pounds), and James and Luke Bru baker (4 million pounds). Also, Risser Brothers, Arlin Benner, Harold Brubaker, J. Richard Groff, Merle King, George Rohrer, and Ken Balmer. Honor roll members, who Vill receive bon uses of 10-20 cents per hundredweight, included Amos Conley and Clair Hollingcr. FOR SALE PEANUT \ ■nut vo ft For 1 ttiroiriiiton I lllSiJiJJuatar I Most affective I as bedding for all I Mods of beef and I dairy cattle, bogs, l horses, sheep and ft poultry V Any amount delivered^ Y or caM tor at farm> I Esbenshade I Turkey Farm I (AmaricaVadest-- I PO Box 337 ft Paradise, Pa. \ (WJ 687-7691 \l {a6oi 278-3883, ing of Goya cheese, a cheese pro duct used as a filler for Italian cheeses. Representatives of the domestic producers of Goya were threatened with what they and the rest of the dairy industry claimed was unjus tified dropping of tairifs and duties on imported Goya cheeses from Argentina, Uraguay and Hungary. It the petition would have been fully approved, as was sought by the Bush administration, it would have opened up a duty free glut of Goya into the United States, destroying the domestic competi tiveness, according to spokesmen for The Dairy Trade Coalition, a group which was founded as a result of the incident. Estimates, which had been ridi culed by some national columnists based out of Washington D.C., were that domestic losses would have been considerable: a 30*cent per pound drop in cheese price; a 76-cent-per hundredweight loss to the price of milk; and a $1.15 bil lion loss from the dairy industry. This was estimated based on the amount of milk now used to make domestic Goya cheese and the diversion of that milk for domestic Cheddar cheese production. Further, it was said that because the extra cheddar cheese would reach surplus and support level prices, the Commodity Credit Cor poration would be forced to buy Thanks and Congratulations WALTER & DAVID WURSTER & FAMILIES, OTTSVILLE, PA the suiplus Cheddar and farmers would be assessed an estimated 18' cents per hundredweighfto pay for the purchases. The petition for Goya has failed twice, even after receiving pres idential support, because of pres sure from congressmen and the dairy industry. However, the incident points to the need for some change, accord ing to Mario Castillo, representa tive of the Dairy Trade Coalition. . Discussion also ran to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the General Agree ment on Trade -and Tarrifs (GATT). Although some organizational representatives, such at Pat Wolff, legislative liason for the Pennsyl vania Farmers' Association, stated that their organization has estab lished some policy on the matters (PFA’s policy is for the abolish ment of the GSP), most representa tives did not offer such solid posi tions during the discussion. The apparent bottom line con sensus was for the groups to take a more aggressive role in interna tional policy making. Redding said that he didn’t come away from the meeting with a sense that any consensus was formed. “I’m not sure that there was (a consensus). I think there was con sensus from the perspective that Featuring... Paul B. Zimmerman Powered Coated Headiocks Paul B. Zimmerman Powered Coated Loop Freestalis Cow Mattresses With Brisket Board Glue-Lam Posts For Stronger Support Glue-Lam Beams To Prevent Bird Roosting Grooved Concrete Floor For Better Cow Traction 13 Oz. Ultra-Violet Resistant Curtain Sides Ritchie Waterers Custom Builders of Dairy, Horse, Storage, Residential And Commercial Buildings NEW 60-COW FREESTALL BARN 20’ x 24’ Manure Storage Area TRIPLE H Construction 430 Springvilleßoad Ephrata, FW 17522 we need to better understand these trade agreements. “But there was no consensus that NAFTA is good for agricul ture.” Redding said. “One thing clear to me. coming out of that meeting, in Congress our chal lenge is to inform the people who are to be directly affecte). That’s a big challenge. “Likewise, all of these organizations farm organiza tions or commodity groups have a challengem org or commodity groups have a challange to inform their membership.” The reason for calling for a meeting was two-fold, according to Redding. “From our perspective, we wanted to bring (the oiganizations) up to date on what happend with the 102nd (Congress) and what is coming with the 103rd, and to focus on pending dairy issues. On Their 717-738-2142 1-(800)-TRIPLE! ‘This was our first attempt to bring together some of the real leaders in the dairy industry to have a dialogue on trade issues and for Sen. Wofford to go out and reach out. We're faced with trend setting and shaping issues that wc need their input on.” he said. As far as the success of the meeting, those attending nodded in agreement when Redding asked if there should be future roundtable discussions. “For the first time doing it, it was a good first attempt,” he said. “We started with 20 to 25 people who idealy would like to be there. We sent out the letter and (he got a) 98-percent response, which is indi cative of the interest that is out there. These people are looking for a forum to present their concerns. The message to me is, we have to do it more often.” 010 ANTIC MLICTION IN Lancaster Farming's CLASSIFIEDS
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