News from the Minnesota Association of Wheat
Growers for Monday, April 1,  2000

CLINTON SPEAKS OUT FOR PNTR FOR CHINA
In a nationally televised press conference, President Clinton called upon Congress to grant China Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR), stating "there is no more important long-term economic or national security issue facing us today".  Trying to address concerns put forth by US labor unions, Clinton suggested the proposed Chinese concessions would actually create more jobs with US labor union members, although no specific details were given.  Furthermore, Clinton admitted that there had been some human rights violations under the current Chinese regime, but also emphasized his confidence, that given the alternative choices for candidates, the current president and premier of China "were the best team at that time".  Moreover, Clinton stressed that additional economic development in China will lead to an improved flow of information, and thus more freedom of expression.

GRAMS APPLAUDS VENTURA'S PROMOTION OF TRADE WITH CHINA
U.S. Senator Rod Grams (R-MN) today applauded Governor Ventura's promotion of trade with China. Ventura is expected to testify before the House Ways and Means committee to promote passage of China Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR). In a letter to Ventura, Grams expressed his enthusiasm for the Governor's efforts to promote an issue that will clearly benefit Minnesota farmers and exporters.

"As one who ha actively promotes PNTR, I am very pleased that you are willing to spend time promoting legislation that clearly will benefit Minnesota farmers and exporters. In my judgement, fulfilling this commitment to China after the conclusion of a successful US-China World Trade Organization (WTO) agreement is important to continue the progress we have made in China," wrote Grams.

Grams has been a strong supporter of expanding new trade opportunities with China. During the WTO Ministerial in Seattle, Grams secured a commitment from Chinese Vice Trade Minister to bring a trade mission to Minnesota. In addition, Grams promoted the opening of an office of the China Council for promotion of International Trade in St.Paul.

Grams said, " Minnesota has much to benefit form working closely with China to pursue trade opportunities for Minnesota business and agriculture.

CLICKMAN ASKS FOR ADVISE ON BIOTECHNOLOGY
In the first meeting of its kind, USDA Secretary Dan Glickman asked a 43-member Biotech Advisory Committee their advice on how his department can better deal with the social, economic and scientific issues surrounding the use of genetically modified organisms (GMO)s in food.  According to a newswire source, the USDA Biotech Advisory Committee membership is made up of individuals with diverse backgrounds, education's, and political persuasions.  During the meeting, the members addressed a wide variety of GMO issues ranging from the definition of biotechnology in the context of food production to labels for food containing genetically altered ingredients.  Furthermore, the group discussed intellectual property rights regarding GMO seeds and the pollen flow from genetically altered crops to fields of non-GMO plants.  Although Glickman doesn't feel a true consensus can be found by the group, the wealth of ideas and opinions put forth from the members will be the most important factor.  Furthermore, both Glickman and committee agreed that the wants and needs of the consumers are the chief concern overshadowing everything else.

Meanwhile, an alliance of competing biotechnology companies is about to launch a multi-million dollar, multi-media advertisement campaign to better explain the controversial GMO technology to potential consumers, according to a newswire report.  Under the name of the Council for Biotechnology Information (CBI), its membership includes two of the US industry giants DuPont de Nemours and Monsanto.  Sources indicate CBI's advertising campaign will include television commercials, print advertising, a web site and more, and is expected to last three to five years in length.  CBI officials will launch their campaign in the US first to try and better asses how the effort develops before taking it to Europe, where the debate on GMOs has been much more vocal.  Moreover, CBI will seek support from various industry groups in their efforts, although biotech firms will remain the prime donors.

INDEPENDENT BANKERS ASK FOR TWO MORE YEARS OF EMERGENCY FARM AID
Speaking before the House Agriculture Committee, the chairman of the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) asked Congress to pass two additional years of emergency farm aid and include "counter-cyclical" income assistance for US farmers in any new farm legislation, according to a newswire source.  Sources indicate the ICBA endorses the House proposal of $6 billion in emergency assistance for US farmers in the fiscal 2001 budget, but they also want Congress to pass fiscal year 2002 aid now as a way to give legislators "lead time" to begin authoring a new farm bill next year.  In addition, the ICBA asked Congress to consider supplemental payments to US farmers, access to improved and affordable crop insurance and expanded conservation reserve acreage with shorter contracts.

WTO AGRICULTURE NEGOTIATIONS BEGIN IN GENEVA.
The World Trade Organization (WTO) Agricultural Committee meet last week in Geneva. The focus of the meeting was to hammer out procedural and scheduling issues, which was largely successful. However, the Committee was unable to appoint a Chairman after the European Union (EU) rejected widely respected candidate, Celso Amorium of Brazil. His rejection was linked to Brazil's membership in the CAIRNS Group, a trade liberalizing consortium of agriculture exporting countries.

The EU, backed by Japan, was severely criticized for this stance as Amorium proponents claimed reasons for his rejection where outside the spirit of the WTO, which aims to base appointments on qualifications alone. New Zealander Roger Farrell, chairman of the WTO Council on Trade in Goods, is temporarily chairing the Agricultural Committee.

Despite this setback, progress was made in determining a work plan, meeting schedule and a year end deadline for submission of negotiating proposals. United State Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Charlene Barshefsky stated, "We accomplished what we set out to do by agreeing to move forward with an agenda and established deadlines to ensure that countries seriously engage in negotiations."

The agreed upon text states that participating countries must submit proposals by December 2000, but there would be some flexibility to submit more detailed proposals after that date. Aside from the meetings scheduled for June, September and November of this year to focus on concept papers and comprehensive negotiating proposals, a Special Session will begin in March 2001. A USTR press release referred to the March 2001 meeting as the beginning of preparations for "intensified negotiations."

Agreed upon text from WTO Agricultural Committee: 24 March 2000

   1. The following programme and arrangements for the first phase of the negotiations under Article 20 of the Agreement on Agriculture was agreed:

(a)  that work within the framework of  paragraphs (a), (b), (c) and (d)  of Article 20 would be based on technical papers and submissions to be contributed by interested participants, as well as on the basis of  information and data to be prepared by the Secretariat at the request of the Committee;
   (b)     that negotiating proposals would be submitted by participants by the end of December 2000, on the understanding that there would be flexibility for the submission of further or more detailed proposals thereafter, provided that such submissions are tabled sufficiently in advance of a stock-taking exercise, covering all proposals submitted, to be undertaken at a March 2001 meeting of the Special Session;
   (c)     that appropriate provision would be made in the agendas of each of the Special Session meetings for the discussion of technical papers submitted and proposals made;
   (d)     that the Special Session meetings would be held back-to-back with the regular meetings of the Committee on Agriculture in June, September and November 2000, with the possibility of an additional Special Session meeting being held in the interval prior to the March 2001 stock-taking meeting on the first phase of the negotiations. The timing of such a meeting, provisionally in the last week of January 2001, would be decided by the Chairperson in the light of consultations as appropriate.

2. Participants made various suggestions for background technical papers by the Secretariat.  Taking account of these suggestions as appropriate, including experience to date in implementing commitments, the following background papers would be made available in advance of the next meeting of the Special Session in June:
  (a)     revised and updated background papers based on notifications on tariff quotas, domestic support, and export subsidies, as well as a table showing Members' usage of domestic support categories, export subsidies and export credits in a common currency;
  (b)     an updated background paper on the agricultural trade performance of developing countries;
  (c)     a background paper in the context of Article 20(b);
  (d)     a background paper on implementation of the least developed and net food-importing developing countries' Decision.

On March 28, 2000 USTR published a Federal Register notice requesting input on general U.S. negotiating objectives. WETEC is beginning to work on an industry submission, and will be requesting assistance from the states as the process evolves. Please be on the look out for more information on this

Notice in the next couple of weeks.

Please remind all of your members to call:1-877-611-TRADE (8233).  This will automatically send a letter of support for China PNTR to their congressional delegations. The call is toll free.

FARMERS ADVISED TO COUNT COLLEGE STUDENTS ON CENSUS FORMS
Counting students as living at home makes sense for rural Minnesota

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Concerned that Minnesota's rural population may be under-represented in the 2000 U.S. Census, Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Gene Hugoson today advised farmers and other rural Minnesotans filling out their census forms to list any children away at school as having a permanent residence in their home town.

The Census Bureau determines residence based on the concept of "usual residence" - the place where a person lives and sleeps most of the time. The bureau used to request that college students be counted at their parents' home. However, as more young people went away to college, the Census Bureau determined that students would be counted apart from their parents where they are attending school. It is important to note that this determination is not a matter of law, but rather the preference of the Census Bureau. Those who wish to count their sons or daughters as living at home are free to do so.

The figures gathered by the census are used to help determine congressional and legislative districts. The figures also help determine how the government allocates its funding and services. It will therefore benefit rural Minnesota to claim its college students as its own, Commissioner Hugoson said.

"Rural America has been losing population for decades, but we don't need to accelerate that trend by dismissing valuable members of these communities," Commissioner Hugoson said. "It's certainly not a given that these students are going to leave the community permanently, so it makes sense to me that we count these people in their home towns rather than in a college town that may be home for just four or five years."

Census forms have been mailed out to citizens during the last few weeks. Rural Minnesotans who did not receive a form should call the Census Bureau Telephone Questionnaire Assistance service at 1-800-471-9424.