Senate Overwhelmingly
Supports China PNTR
The Senate showed its
overwhelming support for
free trade and for U.S. farm
ers Sept. 19, voting 83-15 in
favor of permanent normal
trade relations (PNTR) for
China.
“This vote brings Ameri
can agriculture one step
closer to being able to capital
ize on the opportunities that
will be created by China’s ad
mission to the World Trade
Organization,” said NCGA
President Lynn Jensen.
Under the groundbreaking
WTO accession agreement
negotiated last year, China
consented to eliminate export
subsidies and significantly
improve market access for a
wide variety of U.S. food and
agriculture products. In
return, the United States
agreed to grant China PNTR
status.
“Quite simply, this is a
great one-way deal for U.S.
agriculture. We gain access
to the largest market in the
world and we give up
nothing in return,” Jensen
said.
To see how your senators
voted on this important bill,
visit the Legislative Action
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ORN BITS
Center on the NCGA Web
site www.congress.nw.d
c.us/ncga.
Winners Announced
In ZENECA Membership
Recruitment Program
NCGA has announced
winners in the Zeneca Agri
cultural Products NCGA
Membership Recruitment
Program. Each winner will
receive a $5OO gift certificate.
Winners and their divi
sions are Barbara Fulcher-
Reynolds, Brodhead, Ky.,
Force division; Rodney
Weinzierl, Bloomington, 111.,
NCGA division; Ross Pauli,
Edwards, 111., NCGA divi
sion; Richard Peterson,
Mountain Lake, Minn., Sur
pass division; Duane Adams,
Cosmos, Minn., Surpass divi
sion; and Leslie Roach,
Wheatland, N.D., Warrior
division. ,
NCGA Honors
U.S. Leaders For
Genome Support
The NCGA and 25 other
agricultural and scientific or
ganizations honored key U.S.
leaders for their significant
contributions to and support
for plant genomics and agri
cultural research recently at a
reception in Washington,
D.C. Those honored were
r t '
Sen. Christopher “Kit” S.
Bond (R-MO), Sen. Thad Co
chran (R-MS), Sen. Herbert
H. Kohl (D-WI), Rep. Joe
Skeen (R-NM) and Rep.
Marcy Kaptur (D-OH).
NCGA representatives at
the reception were CEO Rick
Tolman, director of business
development/corn processing
research, Rene Shunk, and
consultant Kellye Ebersole.
NCGA Represented At
TIGR Genomic Conference
Boyd Smith of York, Neb.,
a member of the Customer
and Business Development
Action Team, Rene Shunk of
the NCGA staff, and consult
ant Kellye Ebersole repre
sented the NCGA at the 12th
Internationa] Genome
Sequencing and Analysis
Conference, sponsored by
The Institute for Genomic
Research (TIGR) in Miami,
Fla.
The conference offered an
opportunity for attendees to
learn about the latest in the
field of genomics. Sessions on
both plant and human
genomics were led by cutting
edge research scientists.
NCGA representatives
also met individually with
leading scientists to discuss
the future potential of corn
genomics research.
Bill To Raise Payment
Limited Introduced In
Senate
Sen. Peter Fitzgerald (R
-111.) recently introduced S.
3049, a bill to increase the
payment limit on marketing
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loan gains and loan defi
ciency payments.
Joining Fitzgerald in his
effort were Sens. Dick
Durbin (D-Ill.), John Ed
wards (D-N.C.), and John
Ashcroft (R-Mo.). This bill is
a companion to H.R. 4894,
introduced in the House by
Reps. Jo Ann Emerson (R-
Mo.) and Marion Berry (D-
Ark.) in July. Both bills
would raise the payment
limit from $75,000 to
$150,000.
The major difference is
that the Senate bill applies
only to 2000 production,
while the House bill would
raise the payment limit for
the life of the Farm Bill.
NCGA has been working
closely with both chambers to
ensure immediate action on
this important issue. Your
input is needed as well.
Please visit the Legislative
Action Center on NCGA’s
web site (www.con
gress.nw.dc.us/ncga), click on
“Current Legislation,” and
look for the bills under the
category “Farm Programs.”
Here, you can easily send e
mail messages urging your
senators and representatives
to sign on as cosponsors.
‘Spring Rise’ Proposal
Would Be Bad
News For Farmers
lowa Corn Growers Asso
ciation leader David Sieck
represented NCGA and the
American Soybean Associa
tion at a news conference
Sept. 13 in Washington re-
garding responsible manage
ment of the Missouri River.
He joined Sens. Chuck
Grassley (R-Iowa), Kit Bond
(R-Mo.) and John Ashcroft
(R-Mo.), who are leading the
effort to stop implementation
of a controversial U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service (FWS)
plan to alter water levels
along the Missouri.
This so-called “spring
rise” would hamper farmers’
ability to plant crops and
would wreak havoc with the
barge transportation system.
“For those of us farming
along the river, dealing with
its unpredictability is a fact of
life,” Sieck said. “What
makes things particularly
difficult for us, though, is
dealing with the unpredicta
bility of certain policies and
proposals governing the
management of the river.”
The Senate version of the
FY 2001 energy and water
appropriations bill contains
language prohibiting FWS
from implementing the
spring rise proposal, but the
House version of the bill does
not include similar language.
This discrepancy must be
worked out by a conference
committee.
Contact your local
dealer for details.
Pennsylvania |
ADAMSTOWN
Adamstown Equip. Inc
717-484-4391
ALLENTOWN
Lehigh Ag Equipment
610-398-2553
BECHTELSVILLE
Miller Equip. Co.
610-845-2911
EASTON
Geo. V. Seiple & Son, Inc
610-258-7146
INTERCOURSE
Hoober, Inc.
800-732-0017
GREENCASTLE
Meyers Implement
717-597-2176
LEBANON
Umberger’s of Fontana
717-867-5161
OAKLAND MILLS
Peoples Sales & Service
717-436-2735
OLEY
Pikeville Equipment, Inc.
610-987-6277
Maryland
RISING SUN
Ag Industrial Equipment
410-658-5568
New Jersey
ELMER
Pole Tavern Equip.
Sales Corp.
856-358-2880
Virginia
HARRISONBURG
Rockingham New
Holland, Inc.
800-360-5313
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