WASHINGTON - Sen. Chuck Grassley today wrote Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer urging him to increase funding for the promotion of pork and beef export markets.
Grassley asked for increased funding for the Market Access Program and the Foreign Market Development Program. Both of these programs can encourage the development, maintenance, and expansion of commercial export markets for pork and beef products.
“Many livestock producers are feeling the pinch right now. It’s important that we help these pork and beef producers get through this rough patch,” Grassley said. “I hope the Department of Agriculture will continue to lookout for livestock producers and help cultivate commercial export opportunities.”
USDA recently announced that it would allow haying and grazing on ground previously designated for the Conservation Reserve Program. The Department also announced that $50 million in Section 32 funds will be used to purchase pork products.
A copy of the letter is pasted below.
June 3, 2008
The Honorable Ed Schafer
Secretary
US Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Ave, SW
Washington, DC 20250
Dear Secretary Schafer,
As you know, the livestock industry continues to face tough economic situations throughout the country and in Iowa. In particular beef and pork producers from Iowa have contacted me for help. As a family farmer myself, I know how critically important it is for our livestock producers to be at least break even to continue to stay in business.
First, let me thank you for your recent decision to allow haying and grazing on CRP acres and the decision to use $50 million in Section 32 funds for a purchase of pork products. Both of these steps will provide some relief in the short term.
Unfortunately, I don’t think our producers are out of the woods yet. Instead, there are a few more programs that we can focus towards promotion of our pork and beef products in the short term. I would ask that the Department give serious consideration to increasing funding for pork and beef promotion in the Market Access Program (MAP) and the Foreign Market Development Program (FMD). These programs can encourage the development, maintenance, and expansion of commercial export markets for our meat products.
It’s critical to keep our family farmers, and in particular our medium and small producers on the land. Targeting our export promotion to a struggling livestock industry in the short term will be both an investment in rural America and an investment in the continued viability of our marketplace.
Again, thank you for your continued interest in this issue and for consideration of my request.
Sincerely,
Chuck Grassley
United States Senator