47 



force is necessary because that marketplace is changing and chsmg- 

 ing very rapidly. And when you look at the meat sector, there are 

 some multipliers that could involve with specialty products that 

 need their input put in. 



Mrs. Thurman. Actually, I think we have a man in Florida by 

 the name of Leroy Baldwin who has been doing some stuff in 

 China with cattle on his own, as a private businessman, and has 

 actually gone over there to do some things — which I am very im- 

 pressed with. 



Mr. Terhaar. 



And I know that I have missed some of the testimony, so if you 

 have answered this in your testimony, forgive me for doing this to 

 you. 



Mr. Terhaar. Just a quick comment on that. Cotton Council 

 International, which is the development, market development arm 

 of National Cotton Council, is redoubling its efforts on the U.S. 

 value-added product exports of cotton. Those are yams, fabrics, fin- 

 ished apparel. Within that there is, we think, some opportunity for 

 those specialty items such as organic cotton, for instance, or natu- 

 rally colored cotton. And, indeed, there is interest in specific mar- 

 kets overseas. 



So yes, there are those opportunities, and I think we need to go 

 aggressively after them. And at the same time, look at those things 

 that are the staple of our business which is the bulk and value- 

 added traditional products as well. 



Mrs. Thurman. Thank you. 



I think I will give it back to the chairman. 



Mr. CONDIT [resuming chair]. Thank you, Mrs. Thurman. We 

 have been cohosting this thing for a couple days, so I appreciate 

 Mrs. Thurman's help. And we apologize to you but we are trying 

 to cast votes at the same time and not inconvenience you. 



Mr. Johnson, have pork producers had any luck in utilizing the 

 Export Enhancement Program, there was a great deal of discussion 

 about this a couple years ago, but I haven't heard much about it 

 in way of a foUowup. 



Mr. Johnson. Mr. Chairman, we have struggled with the Expert 

 Enhancement Program for a long time and are still struggling with 

 it. It seems to be a problem for us to get our message through of 

 the value of an Export Enhsmcement Program for value-added 

 products. Again, we are looking at an extension right now for some 

 product to go to the former Soviet Union, specifically Russia, that 

 has been held up with some reviews. 



Our problem with the reviews are that that market is going to 

 be filled and is being filled at this very moment, by pork from the 

 European Community, specifically Denmark, Holland, or the Neth- 

 erlands. So we have been very frustrated with our progress with 

 that. 



Mr. CONDIT. Do you have any suggestions on how we resolve 

 that, or have you already made those? 



Mr. Johnson. My suggestions are that we have to try to refocus 

 some of the thinking, I think is the best phrase, to get people to 

 realize that value-added exports really are something that is im- 

 portant to this country and important to rural America, and to get 

 people to refocus on that. 



