45 



Mrs. Thurman. Can you give me some examples, maybe, of 

 where they have asked for your input afterwards that you might 

 have had a positive effect on the decisionmaking? 



Mr. Krajeck. I think that it is even difficult right now to come 

 up with those examples. I am aware that only yesterday, I think, 

 that very briefly the president of our organization was called over 

 to USDA for some review, but I don't think in terms of any ongoing 

 changes that we have participated in those. 



Mrs. Thurman. Mr. Notar. 



Mr. NOTAR. Thank you for the question. 



We have felt, particularly recently, that the FAS has really been 

 reaching out to NCBA and cooperatives. Under Secretary Moos, As- 

 sistant Secretary Brandstool, Deputy Secretary Rominger, have all 

 given us of their time and we have been able to talk with them fre- 

 quently. 



We see FAS as a partner in being able to extend and talk about 

 the needs of cooperatives and their gloom view. And USDA and the 

 FAS have been very helpful in recent months to help us sort out 

 some of those needs. We see FAS as an information source, as a 

 catalyst, to help us and U.S. cooperatives with their strategic plan- 

 ning and strategic view. And FAS, as that information resource, 

 and with that accessibility, particularly recently, has been very 

 helpful to us. 



Mrs. Thurman. So you think you have had some part in the reor- 

 ganization? 



Mr. Notar. We feel that we have had input to it. 



Mrs. Thurman. Can you point to any particulars? 



Mr. Notar. We have, for example, had our programs in Indo- 

 nesia, which has been a very significant program, using the FAS. 

 Indonesia has now from a base of zero, 33,000 people working in 

 cooperative efforts in various t5T)es of agriculture. And FAS pro- 

 grams in Indonesia have helped us get started. 



We are looking to extend those programs there and we have had 

 a very able and listening ear with the FAS as we look ahead to 

 those programs in Indonesia. So that is just one example. 



Mrs. Thurman. OK. 



Mr. Terhaar. 



Mr. Terhaar. Madam Chairman, I guess you are going to get a 

 very mixed review. I would agree with Mr. Krajeck that we have 

 not had the desired input. As a matter of fact, I was involved in 

 that meeting yesterday that he mentioned. It was a very good 

 meeting with Mr. O'Meara, Mr. Vickers, and Mr. Patrice, but it 

 was backwards in that it was the group of private sector people 

 calling the meeting to provide input to a reorganization chart for 

 FAS that we happened to have. That is not the type of outreach 

 that I think is necessary if we are going to have the primary client 

 group. And again, I think I mentioned that is the private sector 

 that FAS is supposed to be assisting in exporting its products, have 

 input into this process of reorganization, reinventing Grovemment. 



There used to be much closer ties between FAS and the private 

 sector, I think, through the market development cooperators, 

 through interaction with them and their members. That has seri- 

 ously decreased within the last 4 to 5 years. 



Mrs. Thurman. So you would like to have a little more input? 



