Members Named To Seven Agricultural Trade Advisory Committees

Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer today announced the appointment of private-sector members to the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee for Trade (APAC) and six Agricultural Technical Advisory Committees for Trade (ATAC). U.S. agricultural exports are forecast to reach a record $101 billion for fiscal year 2008, up $10 billion from November's forecast and an unprecedented $19 billion above 2007.

"America's agricultural trade is a strongly successful part of our country's economy producing food for millions of hungry people around the world," said Schafer. "Our producers stand ready to provide the best-quality products to overseas markets at competitive prices. Each advisory committee member brings expertise and unique knowledge ensuring that American farmers, ranchers and agricultural businesses are competing in world markets with full government support and smart objectives."

Congress established the advisory committees in 1974 to ensure a private-sector voice in establishing U.S. agricultural trade policy objectives to reflect U.S. commercial and economic interests. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative jointly manage the committees. Members of each committee will serve until Jan. 28, 2012.

The APAC provides advice and information to the Secretary of Agriculture and the U.S. Trade Representative on negotiating objectives, bargaining positions and other matters related to the development, implementation and administration of U.S. agricultural trade policy. The ATACs offer technical advice and information on specific commodities.

The six ATACs are:

1. Animals and Animal Products

2. Fruits and Vegetables

3. Grains, Feed and Oilseeds

4. Processed Foods

5. Sweeteners and Sweetener Products

6. Tobacco, Cotton, Peanuts and Planting Seeds

Lists of members by committee are as follows.

Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee for Trade

NAME	COMPANY
Elizabeth Avery	PepsiCo, Inc.
Roger Baccigaluppi	RB International
Emily Beizer	Grocery Manufacturers Association
J. Patrick Boyle	American Meat Institute
Carl Brothers	Riceland Foods, Inc.
James Camerlo	Dairy Farmers of America
Jon Caspers	National Pork Producers Council
Stephen Censky	American Soybean Assn.
Thomas Cook	National Renderers Assn., Inc.
Paul Drazek	DTB Associates, LLP
Audrae Erickson	Corn Refiners Assn., Inc.
Randy Green	McLeod, Watkinson & Miller
Richard Greubel	Tyson Foods, Inc.
Thomas Hammer	National Oilseed Processors Association
Shannon Herzfeld	Archer Daniels Midland
Jack Hunt	King Ranch, Inc.
Kenneth Johannes	Consultant
John Keeling	National Potato Council
Alan Kemper	Kemper Farms
Harlan Klein	Klein Farms
Robert Koch	The Wine Institute
Mark Lange	The National Cotton Council of America
Andrew LaVigne	American Seed Trade Assn.
Ron Litterer	National Corn Growers Assn.
Gary Martin	North American Export Grain Assn.
Steven Nadherny	Case New Holland
Thomas Nassif	Western Growers Assn.
Joe O'Mara	O'Mara and Associates
Jean-Mari Peltier	National Council of Farmer Cooperatives
Bonnie Raquet	Cargill, Inc.
Karen Ross	California Association of Winegrape Growers
Christian Schlect	Northwest Horticultural Council
Hunt Shipman	Cornerstone Government Affairs
Michael Stuart	Florida Fruit and Vegetable Assn.
James Sumner	USA Poultry & Egg Export Council
Robert Thompson	University of Illinois
Constance Tipton	International Dairy Foods Assn.
Larry Wooten	North Carolina Farm Bureau

 

Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Animals and Animal Products

NAME	COMPANY
Roger Allbee	Vermont Agency of Agriculture
Jill Appell	Appell's Pork Farms, Inc.
James Bailey	Wal-Mart Stores
Edward Blair	Blair Brothers Angus
Devry Boughner	Cargill, Inc.
Theresa Brophy	Maryland Department of Agriculture
Jaime Castaneda	National Milk Producers Federation
Mark Davis	Davisco Foods International, Inc.
Daniel Dierschke	Dierschke Farms
Gregory Doud	National Cattlemen's Beef Association
Richard Ellinghuysen	Producers Livestock Marketing Association
Dana Hauck	Pike Trail Cattle Co. Inc.
Frank Leaverton	Shore Genetics, Inc.
Thad Lively	U.S. Meat Export Federation
Mark Lobstein	USA Poultry & Egg Export Council
Thomas May	Trugman-Nash, Inc.
Daniel Meyer	American Dairy Products Institute
Shawna Morris	American Butter Institute
Robert Peterson	Peterson Farms
John Reddington	American Meat Institute
Paul Rodgers	American Sheep Industry Association, Inc.
William Roenigk	National Chicken Council
James Tillison	National Milk Producers Federation
David Salmonsen	American Farm Bureau Federation
Neal Schuman	Arthur Schuman, Inc.
Terry Stokes	National Cattlemen's Beef Association
Thomas Suber	U.S. Dairy Export Council
Kent Swisher	National Renderers Association, Inc.
John Wilson	Dairy Farmers of America, Inc.
Dennis Wolff	Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
Robert Yonkers	International Dairy Foods Association

 

Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Fruits and Vegetables

NAME	COMPANY
Julie Adams	Almond Board of California
Dennis Balint	California Walnut Commission
Douglas Bournique	Indian River Citrus League
Susan Brauner	Blue Diamond Growers
Reginald Brown	Florida Tomato Committee
Lauri Buckley	A. Duda & Sons
James Christie	Bryant Christie, Inc.
Alice Dettwyler	DAS Farm, Inc.
Hugh Ewart	California Citrus Quality Council
Nancy Foster	U.S. Apple Association
Ronald Gaskill	American Farm Bureau Federation
Carolyn Gleason	McDermott, Will & Emery
Robert Guenther	United Fresh Produce Association
Daniel Haley	Haley and Associates
Julian Heron	Tuttle, Taylor, and Heron
John Himmelberg	O'Connor & Hannan, L.L.P.
Richard Hudgins	California Canning Peach Association
Roger Knutzen	Knutzen Farms LP
Barry Kriebel	Sun-Maid Growers of California
Richard Matoian	California Fig Advisory Board
John McClung	Texas Produce Association
Katherine Means	Produce Marketing Association
Daniel Moss	Moss Farms
Mark Murai	California Strawberry Commission
Joel Nelsen	California Citrus Mutual
Thomas O'Brien	O'Brien DC
Mark Powers	Northwest Horticultural Council
Joseph Rollo	Wine Institute
Robert Schramm	Schramm, Williams & Associates, Inc.
Tim Smith	Smith Ranches, Wood Orchard, Inc. & Sunsweet Growers Inc.
Rayne Thompson	California Farm Bureau Federation
Michael Wootton	Sunkist Growers

 

Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Grains, Feed and Oilseeds

NAME	COMPANY
Mark Anderson	Anderson Hay and Grain Co., Inc.
Gary Blumenthal	World Perspectives, Inc.
Kyd Brenner	DTB Associates, LLP
Fred Clark	Cornerstone Government Affairs
Rebecca Coleman	U.S. Wheat Associates
Robert Cummings	USA Rice Federation
Jefferson Jon Doggett	National Corn Growers Assn.
Christopher Holdgreve	National Grain and Feed Assn.
Thomas Erickson	Bunge North America, Inc.
Neal Fisher	North Dakota Wheat Commission
John Gordley	Gordley Associates
Paul Green	Paul B. Green International Marketing Consultant
John Hansen	Nebraska Farmers Union
Sue Harris	Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc.
Jon Hixson	Cargill, Inc.
Kenneth Hobbie	U.S. Grains Council
Lurlin Hoelscher	Hoelscher Ag Dist., Inc.,
John Hoffman	Farmer
Tonya Kemp	Gordley Associates
Daniel Kidd	Kidd Brothers Farms
Donald Latham	Latham Seed Company
David Lyons	Louis Dreyfus Commodities
Timothy McGreevy	USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council
Joel Newman	American Feed Industry Association
John Reed	Archer Daniels Midland
Robert Reeves	Institute of Shortening and Edible Oils
Mark Rokala	Cornerstone Government Affairs
Candace Roper	CoBank
Claude Rosson	Texas A&M University
Michael Rue	Catlett Warehouse
Ladd Seaberg	MGP Ingredients, Inc.
Joel Severinghaus	Iowa Farm Bureau Federation
Robert Sindt	US Dry Bean Council
Jennifer Spurgat	National Assn. of Wheat Growers
David Winkles	South Carolina Farm Bureau Federation

 

Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Processed Foods

NAME	COMPANY
Robert Anderson	Sustainable Strategies
Robert Bauer	Association of Food Industries
Marietta Bernot	Mars Incorporated
Alison Bodor	National Confectioners Association
Chester "Bo" Bryant	McDonald's Corporation
Nancy Cook	Pet Food Institute
Donna Denison	Cassidy & Associates
Mark Dunn	J.R. Simplot Company
Elizabeth Fay	Cargill, Inc.
James Finkle	Constellation Brands, Inc.
Richard Fritz	Global AgriTrends
Robert Garfield	American Frozen Food Institute
Michael Goltzman	The Coca-Cola Company
Ronald Graf	The Hershey Company
Ann Grappin	Yum! Restaurants International
Timothy Hamilton	Food Export Association of the Midwest U.S.A.
Gerald Hingle	Southern United States Trade Association (SUSTA)
Shawn Jarosz	Trade Moves LLC
Kelly Johnston	Campbell Soup Company
Steven Krikava	Land O'Lakes
Christine LoCascio	Distilled Spirits Council of the United States
John McDermid	International Business-Govt. Counselors, Inc.
Joseph Plesha	Trident Seafoods Corporation
John Reynolds	P&G Pet Care, Proctor & Gamble, Inc.
Kenneth Roberts	Kraft Foods
Peggy Rochette	Grocery Manufacturers Association / Food Products Association
Megan Schmidt	ConAgra Foods, Inc.
Robert Shuey	Tyson Foods, Inc.
Susanne Staats	Starbucks Coffee Company
Ronald Tanner	National Association for the Specialty Food Trade
Sarah Thorn	Wal-Mart Stores, Inc
Mary Toker	General Mills
Rodger Wasson	Wasson and Associates

 

Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Sweeteners and Sweetener Products

NAME	COMPANY
Margaret Blamberg	America Cane Sugar Refiners' Association
Van Boyette	Smith & Boyette
Otto Christopherson	Christopherson Farms
Thomas Earley	Promar International
Wallace Ellender, III	Ellender Farms, Inc.
Cassie Folk	National Confectioners Association
Troy Fore, Jr.	American Beekeeping Federation, Inc.
Alan Foutz	Colorado Farm Bureau
Christopher Garza	American Farm Bureau Federation
Frances Gorski	The Coca-Cola Company
Patrick Henneberry	Imperial Sugar Company
Alfred Hensler	Masterfoods USA
Roland Hoch	Global Organics Ltd.
James Johnson, Jr.	United States Beet Sugar Association
Sherri Lehman	Grocery Manufacturers Association
Kenneth Lorenze	Kraft Foods
Luther Markwart	American Sugarbeet Growers Association
Martin Muenzmaier	Cargill, Inc.
Kent Peppler	Kent Peppler Farms
Donald Phillips, Jr.	American Sugar Alliance
Kevin Price	American Crystal Sugar Company
Parks Shackelford	Florida Crystals Corporation
Omar Vargas	PepsiCo, Inc.
Ryan Weston	Florida, Texas, Hawaii Sugarcane Growers
Scott Wulff	General Mills
John Yonover	Indiana Sugars, Inc.

 

Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Tobacco, Cotton, Peanuts and Planting Seeds

NAME	COMPANY
Gary Adams	National Cotton Council
Thomas Archer	American Peanut Council
Dale Artho	Dale and Kathy Artho Farms
Stanley Baker	Meadowland Corporation
Jessie Bunn	Leaf Tobacco Exporters Association
Willie Carter, Jr.	North Carolina Cotton Producers Association
Leonard Condon	Altria Corporate Services, Inc.
Thomas Cotton, Jr.	Peanut Growers Cooperative Marketing Association
Kenneth Dierschke	Kenneth Dierschke Farms
Charles Earnest	Dolphin Land Company
William Gillon	Law Office of William Gillon
Kater Hake	Cotton Inc.
Kenneth Hood	Perthshire Farms
Jeffrey Johnson	Birdsong Peanuts
Donald Koehler	Georgia Peanut Commission
Eric Lindblom	Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids
John Mitchell	Cargill Cotton
Richard Pasco	American Peanut Product Manufacturers, Inc.
Evans Plowden, Jr.	Watson, Spence, Lowe & Chambless LLP
Roger Quarles	Burley Tobacco Growers Cooperative Association, Inc.
Bernice Slutsky	American Seed Trade Association
Mary Thatcher	American Farm Bureau Federation
Clyde Wayne, Jr.	Tobacco Associates, Inc.
Robert Weil, II	Weil Brothers Cotton, Inc.