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Nebraska Farmers Union |
1305
Plum Street • Lincoln, NE 68502 Contact
John Hansen Office: 402-476-8815, Fax: 402-476-8859, Cell: 402-580-8815 |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 19, 2005 Lincoln, Nebraska
NEBRASKA FARMERS UNION PRAISES NELSON AMENDMENT
Lincoln, NE. The Nebraska Farmers Union thanks Nebraska Senators Nelson and Hagel for their strong leadership in opposing a USDA proposed rule printed in the August 18, 2005 Federal Register entitled, “Importation of Whole Cuts of Boneless Beef from Japan.”
Nebraska Farmers Union released a copy of the letter it sent Sen. Nelson supporting his amendment to the Agriculture Appropriations that would prohibit the use of funds for developing a rule with respect to the importation of beef from Japan.
“USDA needs some common sense horse trading guidance on the issue of opening up United States markets to imports of Japanese beef at a time when Japan is signaling they are not going to open up their markets to our United States beef. We thank Senators Nelson and Hagel for taking on this issue. We hope they continue to work together with Representative Osborne and others in the Senate and the House to prevent USDA from giving away what little leverage we now have with the Japanese,” said John K. Hansen, President of Nebraska Farmers Union.
Nebraska Farmers Union is the state’s second largest and oldest general farm organization representing over 4,500 farm and ranch families and the rural communities they live in. The mission of Nebraska Farmers Union is to improve the economic well being and quality of life of family farmers and ranchers, and the rural communities they live in.
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Nebraska Farmers Union |
1305
Plum Street • Lincoln, NE 68502 Office: 402-476-8815, Fax: 402-476-8859 |
September 19, 2005
The Honorable Ben Nelson
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator Nelson:
On behalf of the over 4,500 farm and ranch families of the
Nebraska Farmers Union, we thank you for filing an amendment to the Agriculture
Appropriations bill, H.R. 2744, which would prohibit the use of funds for
developing a rule with respect to the importation of beef from Japan. Given the failure of the Japanese to accept
our U.S. beef, we strongly believe the USDA proposed rule printed August 18,
2005 in the Federal Register entitled, “Importation of Whole Cuts of Boneless
Beef from Japan” should not be allowed to go forward at this time.
It is painfully obvious that a uniform playing field between
Japan and the United States that guides both nations does not currently
exist. We are deeply disappointed that
the Japanese Food Safety Commission has indicated that they would continue to
delay the resumption of beef trade with the United States.
Our beef producers understand that a fair trade policy
begins with both sides operating off the same, mutually agreed to
standards. It would be a grievous
mistake to open up our United States markets to Japan imports of beef at a time
when Japan continues to refuse our United States beef into their markets. Fair is fair. Enough is enough.
Again, thank you for your common sense leadership on this
issue.
Sincerely yours,
John K. Hansen