NCBA Cattle Producers Serving on Top U.S. Trade Advisory Committee

Jim Peterson, cattle producer from Buffalo, Montana, is visiting the nation’s capital this week to attend the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee (ATAC) on Animals and Animal Products meeting. Peterson, along with Kansas cattleman and fellow National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) member Dana Hauck, was selected in 2001 to represent cattle producers nationwide. 

“This is a unique opportunity for real-life farmers and ranchers to meet with top international trade officials,” says Peterson.  “We consult with, advise, and make recommendations to the USDA Secretary and the U.S. Trade Representative on major trade issues. It’s an honor to have NCBA members as part of this critical team.”

The committees were formed by Congress in 1974 to ensure an ongoing liaison between the federal government and the private sector regarding agricultural trade issues.  New members are selected every two years.

“Creating fair, liberalized trade for U.S. beef and other agricultural products is a top priority in all current trade negotiations, and we are an important part of these discussions,” says Peterson.  “We will only support trade agreements that increase export opportunities for cattlemen. With the increasingly global economy, developing dependent export markets is critical to the future of successful U.S. agriculture and the cattle industry.”

Participants in the committee meeting discussed the concerns and benefits of numerous free trade agreements (FTAs) and also discussed multi-lateral World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations.

“As of 2002, there are major sectors of the world that now have a growing number of middle-class consumers. We need to get out there, beyond our own borders, and become active in these international markets. Of course, we must be sure that trade rules are fair and liberalized. That’s where the opportunity lies, so let’s give others the chance to purchase the best quality beef products in the world,” says Peterson.

The ATAC on Animals and Animal Products meetings are closed to the public due to the sensitive nature of the issues discussed.  NCBA will continue to offer detailed technical advice and information on cattle production and beef export markets during these committee meetings as well as in comments and testimony submitted to USDA, USTR, other federal departments and agencies.