Ag Officials See High Stakes In NAFTA Negotiations

Agriculture officials from the U.S., Canada and Mexico are proposing more state and provincial involvement in negotiations for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), representatives from all three countries said in a communique released during the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture' (NASDA)."The Ministers, Secretaries, Commissioners, and Directors of the State and Provincial departments of agriculture from Canada, Mexico and the U.S. emphasize the vital importance of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to the agriculture and food processing industries across the continent," the communique read."Since NAFTA came into effect, these industries have become increasingly integrated, helping North America become a competitive force internationally. The ability to coordinate, collaborate, and create agriculture and food products together has made North America a successful economic region that is well positioned to continue providing the world with high-quality and safe food. Delegates discussed the importance of NAFTA and the usefulness of state and provincial attendance at negotiating rounds to directly engage federal negotiators on agri-food discussions."The comments were given the NASDA representatives during their annual Tri-National Agricultural Accord meeting in Denver, Colorado.States are working on ways to modernize the agreement, NASDA President Steven Reviczky said at the gathering. "We're encouraging federal officials to pursue greater market access for U.S. products, especially into Canada," Reviczky told Bloomberg. "We want to enhance the opportunities for state and provincial agriculture officials to provide input to our federal governments, and we want to enhance regulatory cooperation and coordination, said Reviczky, who also is Connecticut commissioner of agriculture.