U-S Ag Secretary Dan Glickman says it’s time for some “short-term” federalrelief for financially-struggling farmers.Prices have plummetted for nearly every grain — as livestock producersstruggle, too, through historical lows.Glickman says there should be “structural changes” in the Freedom to FarmAct as well. He says crafters of the Farm Bill never imagined four consecutive years ofrecord grain production, worldwide, which has dampened the demand for U.S.commodities.Glickman is in Des Moines today, attending a “listening session” to garnerfarmers’ ideas about the upcoming World Trade Organization session inSeattle. U-S Trade Ambassador Peter Scher (shear) announced the World TradeOrganization has endorsed a more than 100-million dollar fine on theEuropean Union for its refusal of U.S. beef.Scher says U-S trade negotiators will press for a “respect for science”among our trading partners. That will help gain world acceptance ofgenetically-altered crops and hormone-treated meats.
