US: Pork org positive about new ag negotiator

25-09-2009 | Home | News

The US National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) praised president Obama’s nomination of Dr Islam A. Siddiqui as the chief agricultural negotiator in the office of the US Trade Representative, an agency critical to the health and profitability of the US pork industry.

USTR’s mission is to develop and coordinate US international trade, commodity, and direct investment policy, and overseeing negotiations with other countries.

Agricultural background
“We’re pleased to see someone with such a strong agriculture background as Siddiqui nominated for this post,” said NPPC president Don Butler. “He’s a tough negotiator and is inheriting a lot of agricultural trade issues, with pork issues in China and Russia at the top of the list.”

Siddiqui is a prominent American agricultural scientist currently serving as vice president for science and regulatory affairs at CropLife America.©His agriculture background goes back to the California Department of Food and Agriculture where he spent 28 years before serving in various capacities in the Clinton administration at USDA.

Clinton administration
NPPC worked closely with Siddiqui when he was at USDA in the Clinton administration.©According to NPPC vice president and counsel for international trade policy, Nick Giordano, “Siddiqui is tough as nails and is the kind of person you want to go to battle with. We look forward to working with him again.”

“This is a very critical time for the pork industry and we need to continue to fight hard to gain market access around the world and maintain it,” said Butler.©”NPPC congratulates president Obama©on a great choice, and we look forward to working his trade team on the many trade issues affecting the US pork industry.”©

Related websites:
• National Pork Producers Council (NPPC)
• United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)