05/13/05 ICA supports CAFTA

I've been telling you for some time about the Idaho sugar producers' opposition to CAFTA. Several other groups like Idaho Grain Producers say they'll back the sugarbeet growers, they'll oppose CAFTA. The Idaho Cattle Association sees it differently. WEBSTER "It would open new markets for us that are not there now because of high tariffs." And that's why southeast Idaho stockman and Idaho Cattle Association president-elect Mike Webster supports CAFTA. ICA executive director Lloyd Knight is very aware of sugar grower's concerns about CAFTA. Knight says the state's one billion dollar a year cattle and calf industry has to develop new markets and central America is one of their targets. KNIGHT "We hate to see an additional commodity such as beef be held hostage by concerns over those other crops and those other commodities that have issues with the agreement. We don't like being put in a position where we're at a different spot as some of the other sister commodities in the state but we're got some business that we want to get done too." The US Agriculture Trade Negotiator Allen Johnson obviously supports CAFTA and can't understand why sugar producers don't too. JOHNSON "I think the worse thing that can happen to the sugar industry is for CAFTA to fail." Stay tuned, the vote is coming soon and it will be a close one. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott