Newsline for Feb. 23, 2000

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(ELLISON) - THE AMERICAN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION PROVIDES FARM AND FOOD RELATED NEWS WRAPS FOR RADIO STATIONS AND NETWORKS.

I'M BOB ELLISON. OUR REPORT RUNS 1:10.

HERE IS A SUGGESTED LEAD: ANOTHER PUSH IS UNDERWAY TO GET CONGRESS TO LIFT UNILATERAL TRADE SANCTIONS. BOB ELLISON HAS MORE.

ACTUALITIES COME FROM AMERICAN FARM BUREAU GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS SPECIALIST AUDRAE ERICKSON. AUDRAE IS SPELLED A-U-D-R-A-E.

THERE ARE TWO EXTRA ACTUALITIES FOLLOWING THE STORY. IN THE FIRST EXTRA ACTUALITY, ERICKSON SAYS THE U-S GOVERNMENT SHOULD COMPENSATE FARMERS WHO LOSE MARKETS DUE TO UNILATERAL SANCTIONS. IN THE SECOND EXTRA ACTUALITY, ERICKSON SAYS U-S FARMERS WOULD SEE AN IMMEDIATE SHORT TERM BENEFIT IF SANCTIONS WERE LIFTED ACROSS THE BOARD.

STAND BY, THE STORY COME FIRST IN 3...2...1...

(ELLISON) - FARM ORGANIZATIONS WILL MEET WITH CONGRESSIONAL STAFF THIS WEEK IN HOPES OF GETTING LEGISLATION TOGETHER TO END UNILATERAL SANCTIONS ON FIVE COUNTRIES. THE AMERICAN FARM BUREAU'S AUDRAE ERICKSON SAYS SANCTIONS PREVENTING EXPORTS TO IRAN, LIBYA, SUDAN, NORTH KOREA AND CUBA ARE HARMING U-S FARMERS.

(ERICKSON) - OUR COMPETITORS JUMP RIGHT IN AND FILL THE GAP. SO WE LOSE OUR MARKET AND ON TOP OF THAT WE GAIN A VERY UNWANTED REPUTATION OF BEING A VERY UNRELIABLE SUPPLIER.

(ELLISON) - SOME LAWMAKERS SAY NATIONS CLASSIFIED AS TERRORIST STATES SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO GET A SPECIAL LICENSE TO RECEIVE U-S GOODS. BUT ERICKSON SAYS TRADE LICENSES SHOULD NOT BE USED THAT WAY.

(ERICKSON) - THEY IMPEDE COMMERCIAL TRANSACTIONS AND OUR VIEW IS THAT LICENSES SHOULD ONLY BE USED FOR STATISTICAL GATHERING PURPOSES...INFORMATION GATHERING IF YOU WILL.

(ELLISON) - ERICKSON SAYS U-S FARMERS WOULD SEE AN IMMEDIATE SHORT-TERM GAIN IF UNILATERAL SANCTIONS WERE LIFTED.

(ERICKSON) - WE WOULD SEE A RISE IN OUR EXPORTS, PRINCIPALLY IN THE VERY SHORT TERM OF RICE, GRAINS AND SOME LIVESTOCK PRODUCTS.

(ELLISON) - ERICKSON SAYS IF THE U-S GOVERNMENT INSISTS ON KEEPING UNILATERAL SANCTIONS IN PLACE, THEN AMERICAN FARMERS SHOULD BE COMPENSATED FOR LOST MARKETS.

BOB ELLISON, WASHINGTON.

STAND BY FOR THE FIRST EXTRA ACTUALITY. THE CUT RUNS 12 SECONDS, IN 3...2...1...

(ERICKSON) - IF A SANCTION IS NOT LIFTED THEN WE SHOULD RECEIVE MARKET ASSISTANCE FOR THOSE LOST MARKETS, FUNDS THAT WOULD COMPENSATE US FOR THE LOST SALES.

(ELLISON) - STAND BY FOR THE SECOND EXTRA ACTUALITY. THE CUT RUNS 16 SECONDS, IN 3...2...1...

(ERICKSON) - TODAY IF WE WERE ABLE TO LIFT SANCTIONS ACROSS THE BOARD, WE WOULD EXPECT TO SEE A JUMP IN SALES OF ABOUT FOURTEEN PERCENT BECAUSE FOURTEEN PERCENT OF OUR RICE MARKET HAS BEEN TAKEN AWAY BY SANCTIONS. THERE ARE SIMILAR HIGH PERCENTAGES FOR OTHER COMMODITIES AS WELL.

(ERICKSON) - THE FARM BUREAU RADIO NEWSLINE IS UPDATED EVERY MONDAY, WEDNESDAY AND FRIDAY AT 5 P.M. EASTERN TIME. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING.

This page was last modified Sun Apr 01, 2001 at 10:40 pm