NAFTA To Help Reduce ‘Artificial Costs,’ Says Farm Bureau President
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Farming Staff
LANCASTER (Lancaster Co.)
—Reducing trade barriers will do
a lot to eliminate “artificial costs”
on products, according to Dean
Kleckner, president of the Ameri
can Farm Bureau Federation.
Kleckner spoke to about 200
attendees at the golden anniversary
celebration of the founding of the
American Forage and Grassland
Council at the national conference
on Monday at the Host Resort
The American Farm Bureau
president operates a 350-acre,
1,800-head swine farrow-to-finish
farm in Rudd, lowa. He said that
the North American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA) recently
approved by Congress will create
the ‘ ‘potential for a trade-free con
tinent” encompassing the U.S.,
Canada, and Mexico.
“If the future unfolds like it’s
supposed to, trade barriers
between these three nations will be
gone in IS years,” said Kleckner.
The agreement, which paves the
way for the final passage of the
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General Agreement on Tariffs and
Trade (GATT) later this year, will
mean better prices for American
consumers and more markets for
agricultural products.
“Eliminating trade barriers is
just making more
sense ... because it costs an
awful lot to protect domestic
jobs,” he said.
Kleckner pointed out the results
of two reports that examined just
how much the protectionism,
which NAFTA will help to elimi
nate, costs. One is from the Orga
nization for Economic Coopera
tion and Development, which exa
mines the costs to taxpayers and
consumers in 24 developed coun
tries. The study looked at one year
in particular—l992—to see how
much it cost The result? Consum
ers paid about $354 billion in high
er costs and ag subsidies.
Another report, from the Insti
tute for International Economics,
placed the cost of protection for
U.S. consumers at about $7O bil
lion annually.
“How do consumers put up
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Once you look at the big picture, ymfll sec that all
indications point to FORCE
with those higher prices?” said at almost any cost. NAFTA allows the passage of
Kleckner. “I think that most of According to the Institute for GATT to open up markets to about
them don’t know about it.” international Economics Report, 117 nations. He equated the pas-
In this country, there is too consumers pay about $170,000 sa ge of NAFTA and its effect on
much emphasis on job protection every year to save each job. (Turn to Pago A 24)
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Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 12. 1994-A2l
outgoing president’s remarks.
Those receiving merit awards are; J. Mike
Phillips, Southwest Research & Extension Cen
ter, Hope Arkansas; Ray Hoyum, Western Ag-
Minerals, Houston, Texas; Steven L. Pales, Penn
State University: Jerry H. Chemey, Cornell Uni
versity, and Daniel J. Undersander, University of
Wisconsin.
Those receiving distinguished grasslander
awards include; Charles M. Wolgemuth, Her
shey; Joe D. Bums, Knoxville, Tennessee; Foy
Campbell, Montgomery, Alabama; Willis A.
King, Clemson, South Carolina; Dwayne Roh
weder; Sun Lakes, Arizona; Arland W. Pauli,
Lanark, Illinois; James R. Turner, Arcadia, Cali
fornia; Robert Van Keuren. Wooster, Ohio; Wal
ter F. Wedin, Bloomington, Minnesota; and
Robot E. Wagner, Stone Mountain, Georgia.
In the young scientist competition, Mark
Gardner, Penn State, won first place with his pre
sentation; Maturity and species effects on for
age quality and in protein degradability of for
age legumes.
Eric Spandal, Michigan State, was second
with his presentation: The relationship between
plant maturity and forage quality in alfalfa
grass mixtures.
Paulett Pierson, Ohio State, was third with her
presentation: Greenhouse selection for resis
tance to Sclerodna crown and stem rot in
alfalfa.
And Stacy Campbell, Michigan State, was
fourth with her presentation: Maturity and spe
cies effects on forage quality and in protein
degradability of forage legumes.
In the forage spokesperson competition win
ners are; 1. James McKinlay, Ontario; 2. Donnie
Shaw, Kentucky; 3. Audrey Rodgers, Pennsyl
vania: 4. Bradd Vickers, New York, and 5. Kevin
Belkholm, Minnesota.
John Baylor was honored for his many years
of service to the American Forage and Grassland
Council, especially for his efforts to write and
publish the history of the association that has
been completed for this the golden anniversary
pf the council. The past presidents sent a letter of
commendation to John, and this letter was
framed and presented at the awards banquet.
The letter reads in part: “The past presidents of
the American Forage and Grassland Council
express appreciation for writing the history of the
AFGC. This was a major undertaking and a sig
nificant achievement Those of us who have been
privileged to serve this organization in the capac
ity as president want to take this opportunity to
thank you for docummenting the forage coun
cil’s first 50 years. With the knowledge of what
has gone before, our present and future leader
ship can be better prepared to meet the chal
lenges of the future. The past presidents salute
you and thank you for contributing somuch, both
during our past, and on this landmark occasion as
we begin our journey into the next 50 years.”
John Rodgers passed the gavel to the incoming
president, Clive Holland. The next conference is
scheduled for Lexington, Kentucky, in 1995.
(Continued from Peg# A2O)
nell University, and Daniel J.
Undersander. University of
Wisconsin.