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Development of dairy export programs and products has tremendous potential for world 

 markets. USDA should work with dairy producers and processors to enhance export 

 promotion. 



USDA should provide accurate assessments of potential markets and provide the 

 necessary tools (market reports, consumer preference studies, etc.) to match products 

 to markets. 



GAO should produce reports showing the increased market value of value-added 

 processing for current high value products and for the potential export market value of 

 further processing commodity crops. 



Reports should be requested from GAO and ERS that will show the value to the industry 

 and to the U.S. economy of current commodity programs vs. expanded export marketing 

 of agricultural commodities. These reports should also measure the reduction in both 

 sectors if these programs are reduced or eliminated. 



Reports should be required from USDA that will show the economic importance of these 

 programs in urban areas as they contribute to employment in value-added processing. 



Value-adding to agricultural products must be expanded in our rural communities and not 

 exported. 



Value-adding processes must be designed to match the taste and needs of export 

 markets. 



• Current market research (federal/state/university/private when possible) must be 

 expanded and/or made more readily available to potential producers and 

 exporters. 



• The Secretary of Agriculture must work with traditional bulk commodity 

 producers to develop domestic value added processing and is designed to meet 

 foreign requirements. (To keep the value added dollars at home.) 



Lending institutions, such as the Farm Credit System, need to be able to service all off- 

 farm agriculture infrastructures and buyers of agricultural products and finance the 

 export sector. 



• Financial programs must be streamlined, clarified, simplified — to be made more 

 user friendly. 



• Trade financing programs must be in place for foreign buyers. 



Such programs as PL480, GSM, CCC, MPP, FMD, and EEP must be (reauthorized) 

 protected and strengthened to facilitate the movement of American agricultural products 

 into foreign markets. 



USDA must develop or improve current export programs to encourage corporate 

 investment in foreign markets. 



USDA must ensure that U.S. grading, inspection and regulatory programs (sanitary and 

 phytosanitary requirements) do not artificially prohibit the movement of agricultural 

 products into export markets. U.S. requirements must not conflict with international 

 requirements when there is no health or safety issue. 



The Secretary must strongly oppose any efforts of foreign markets to use 

 sanitary/phytosanitary restrictions to unjustly restrict the entry of U.S. products. 



