September 5, 2001

Contact: Steven Cohen; 202-347-3600
cohens@nppc.org

PORK PRODUCERS STATE PRIORITIES AS CONGRESS RETURNS FROM AUGUST RECESS

National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) President Barb Determan said today that Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), the farm bill and the Animal Health Protection Act (H.R. 2002) were the top legislative priorities of America’s 85,000 pork producers.

In a letter delivered to every House office, Determan called TPA "the single most important action that you can take to enhance the long-term viability and profitability of U.S. agriculture."

"With 96 percent of the world’s population living outside the U.S., the future growth and profitability of American agriculture is dependent upon the elimination of tariffs and non-tariff barriers which separate our producers from potential foreign customers," Determan said. "The only way to eliminate these barriers is through intense negotiations with our trade representatives seated at the table, negotiating to open new markets for U.S food and agricultural products. But without TPA, the U.S. will continue to sit on the sidelines watching as our competitors ink deals that squeeze U.S. food and agricultural products out of potential and historically reliable markets."

U.S. pork producers have benefited significantly from previous trade agreements, which were negotiated pursuant to TPA. Since 1995, when the Uruguay Agreement went into effect, U.S. pork exports to the world have increased 100 percent in terms of volume and 108 percent in terms of value.

In July, the House Agriculture Committee passed its version of the next farm bill, H.R. 2646. Determan said NPPC supports the bill, especially those sections relating to conservation, foreign market development and rural development are strongly supported by pork producers.

The bill increased funding by $1.2 billion a year for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to provide cost share and incentive assistance to help cattle, dairy, swine, sheep and poultry producers comply with new state and federal environmental regulations to protect water and air quality.

New regulations, like those proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency, will require the services of technical experts and often the purchase of expensive equipment.

" EPA's own analysis of its proposed new regulation assumes it will cost the "average" Midwestern family pork producer $332,000 in capital costs to comply with the rule and $26,000 a year in recurring costs," Determan said.

"Some groups have attempted to characterize this new EQIP investment as cleanup assistance," Determan said. "Nothing could be further from the truth. "Hog farms are highly regulated and held to a zero-discharge standard. If nutrients are coming into contact with surface water, it is a violation of the Clean Water Act, and the producer is subject to enforcement action, including stiff fines. Also, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program is not available to producers with past environmental violations."

Determan said that passage of the Animal Health Protection Act, H.R. 2002 would more precisely define the authority of the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture in the event of an outbreak of a domestic or foreign animal disease and therefore improve protection for U.S. herds.

"In the event of a disease outbreak, the ability to move quickly and establish clear lines of authority is vitally important," Determan said. "Today, the authority for animal health is scattered throughout several statutes, some dating to the 1880s. USDA needs consolidated and revised authority for animal health issues. A new statute would provide that single statutory framework and H.R. 2002 will accomplish this goal."

 

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