(KANSAS
CITY) U.S. Senator Jim Talent (R-Mo.) today
(07/02/04) announced the formation of his
Agriculture Export Advisory Council to establish
a dialogue between Missouri's producers,
the Administration and representatives of
foreign governments.?Sen. Talent and the
American Royal Association hosted the council's
inaugural meeting today with the discussion
centering on the future of the Asian market
for agricultural exports.
"Farmers and ranchers in Missouri
are among the most innovative and effective
producers in the nation," said Sen.
Talent, a member of the Senate Agriculture
Committee and Chairman of the Agriculture
Subcommittee on Marketing, Inspection and
Product Promotion.?"Our producers,
and the related agriculture industries,
rely on access to export markets to maintain
the value of their products.?The value of
Missouri agriculture exports in 2002 alone
totaled $1.18 billion.?The advisory council
will be a sounding board for ideas and initiatives
to help expand these markets and provide
leadership in the pursuit of value-added
opportunities for our producers."
Members of the council include Charlie
Kruse, President of Missouri Farm Bureau,
Dale Ludwig, President/CEO of Missouri Soybean
Association, Rusty Kahrs, President of Missouri
Cattlemen and a growing number of agriculture
stakeholders.
Council members attending the roundtable
discussion had the opportunity to discuss
the future of the Asian market with Foreign
Agriculture Service Administrator Ellen
Terpstra and foreign agriculture leaders
including Takao Shibata, Consul General
of Japan in Kansas City and Zhao Weining,
First Secretary (Commercial and Agriculture)
at the Commercial and Economic Office at
the Embassy of China in Washington.
Sen. Talent said the council plans to host
similar meetings around the state on a variety
of agriculture issues related to expanding
our export markets on behalf of Missouri's
farmers and ranchers. |
