The most successful export promotion and development programs could be threatened if Congress fails to take action on a new five-year Farm Bill.

P. Scott Shearer, Vice President

November 12, 2012

1 Min Read
Lack of Farm Bill Threatens Exports

The most successful export promotion and development programs could be threatened if Congress fails to take action on a new five-year Farm Bill. This was the message in a letter from over 130 agricultural organizations to the leadership of the House of Representatives. The letter from the Coalition to Promote U.S. Agricultural Exports said, “With the expiration of the 2008 Farm Bill on Sept. 30, USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service currently has no authority to run market promotion and development programs, including the Market Access Program (MAP) and the Foreign Market Development (FMD) for FY13. Loss of this funding will seriously compromise critical day-to-day export market development and promotion activities, thereby putting American farmers and workers at a substantial competitive disadvantage in the international marketplace.” A study commissioned by USDA found that for every additional dollar expended by government and industry on MAP and FMD since 2002, U.S. food and agricultural exports increased by $35 or a 35-to-1 return on investment. Those signing the letter included American Soybean Association, CoBank, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Corn Growers Association, National Cotton Council, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, National Farmers Union, National Milk Producers Federation, National Turkey Federation and the U.S. Meat Export Federation.

About the Author(s)

P. Scott Shearer

Vice President, Bockorny Group, Inc.

Scott Shearer is vice president of the Bockorny Group Inc., a leading bipartisan government affairs consulting firm in Washington, D.C. With more than 30 years experience in government and corporate relations in state and national arenas, he is recognized as a leader in agricultural trade issues, having served as co-chairman of the Agricultural Coalition for U.S.-China Trade and co-chairman of the Agricultural Coalition for Trade Promotion Authority. Scott was instrumental in the passage of China Permanent Normal Trade Relations and TPA. He is past chairman of the USDA-USTR Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Animals and Animal Products and was a member of the USAID Food Security Advisory Committee. Prior to joining the Bockorny Group, Scott served as director of national relations for Farmland Industries Inc., as well as USDA’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Congressional Affairs (1993-96), serving as liaison for the Secretary of Agriculture and the USDA to Congress.

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