44 



need to have a real safety net for a dynamic, growing agricultural 

 sector. And so the way we do it is very important. 



And if we can do it on the basis of real sharing of risk and shar- 

 ing of the cost of risk management, which could be through insur- 

 ance or something like that, we can make that transition. So I 

 don't see your concept at all in conflict with what I am thinking 

 of, which would be a transitional program. 



Maybe on those 30 or 40 percent of your acres you could begin 

 to provide some level of insurance that farmers could have in case 

 there was a sharp increase in production of a nonprogram crop or 

 whatever. Then it would be up to the farmer to determine how 

 much he wanted to pay to manage his risk or her risk. 



Mr. Penny. Ms. Patrick, any thoughts you might share about the 

 coordination of domestic crop programs with international trade 

 prerogatives or objectives? 



Ms. Patrick. I think that as we look at export policy, we have 

 to look at the very beginning of the system, and that is on farms 

 or farms here in the United States. It is directly a part of our ex- 

 port policy. Producers need access to the technologies that let them 

 export with confidence, to take the risks that are necessary. They 

 need access to programs that keep them competitive in world mar- 

 kets. So we see it as more or less a seamless approach. 



One thing, that if you look at some of the structural changes that 

 are occurring in the marketplace today, you find that producers are 

 ever closer to the end user. The technologies are making it, the in- 

 formation is guiding it, producers should be in a position that they 

 can respond to what that end user really needs. 



We talked about market orientation, but we need a much more 

 seamless system in this regard. We don't need programs that get 

 in the way of producers being able to serve the guy who actually 

 is going to use his product. 



Mr. Penny. I also am curious about the degree to which Cargill's 

 exports are benefited by GSM credits, what share of your exports 

 are facilitated by credit sales and what portion are not. Do you 

 have numbers on 



Ms. Patrick. I have no idea. I can find out for you. I will provide 

 it for the record. 



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