49 



Mr. Penny. With that, I think we are going to move on to the 

 last panel and wrap things up for the day. I appreciate your par- 

 ticipation in today's hearing. 



The final panel will include Terry Barr, chief economist, vice 

 president for agricultural and trade policy, the National Council of 

 Farmer Cooperatives; Christian Schlect, president, Northwest Hor- 

 ticultural Council; and Arthur Brown, Jr., secretary of the New 

 Jersey Department of Agriculture. 



Mr. Brown, I understand you have a train connection that re- 

 quires you to move along. 



Mr. Brown. Yes, sir, I already missed one. I am waiting on the 

 second. 



Mr. Penny. We will proceed with you first, and then move on to 

 the other two individuals. 



STATEMENT OF ARTHUR R. BROWN, JR., SECRETARY, NEW 

 JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, ON BEHALF OF 

 THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STATE DEPARTMENTS OF 

 AGRICULTURE, ACCOMPANIED BY BARBARA R. SPANGLER, 

 MANAGER, LEGISLATP7E AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS 



Mr. Brown. Thank you. Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and 

 members of the subcommittee. I am Art Brown. I am the secretary 

 of agriculture from the Garden State, New Jersey. 



I would request that my written response that has been distrib- 

 uted be also entered into the official record. I also would request 

 that I leave as soon as I give testimony and I would leave Barbara 

 Spangler, an associate of mine, to answer any questions. 



Thank you. 



I appear before you today on behalf of the National Association 

 of State Departments of Agriculture, NASDA, the nonprofit asso- 

 ciation of commissioners, secretaries, and directors of agriculture in 

 the 50 States and the territories of American Samoa, Guam, Puerto 

 Rico, and the Virgin Islands. NASDA's members are keenly aware 

 of the importance of developing and maintaining a viable long-term 

 export trade strategy, not only to safeguard the future of America's 

 agricultural producers and processors, but also to keep the Nation's 

 economy healthy. 



You are seeking some very specific information through these 

 hearings. In the interest of brevity, I offer you some very short, di- 

 rect answers which are more fully elaborated in the written testi- 

 mony I have submitted. 



First of all, you have asked where our markets will be in the 

 years ahead, what they will look like and what products they will 

 purchase, and what mechanisms are necessary to access those mar- 

 kets. I can assure you that the market for raw and value-added 

 American agricultural products will be worldwide. GATT and 

 NAFTA will provide unlimited growth potential for high-value agri- 

 cultural products. 



According to a recent FAS study, four areas will be especially im- 

 portant over the next several years. They are: The Pacific Rim 

 countries — especially Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea and Tai- 

 wan — Canada, Mexico, and the remainder of Central America; the 

 European Union; and Russia and China. 



