After several years of dismal yields, Russia may harvest enough grain this year to resume exporting to other former Soviet republics, a top official said Tuesday. Agricultural Minister Alexei Gordeyev's statement, carried by the Interfax news agency, broke from earlier predictions that despite an improvement in crop yields the country would still need to import grain. N.D. An agriculture spending bill likely to meet congressional approval next week will help North Dakota and Minnesota farmers recoup millions of dollars in crop losses. Responding to a question during the third and final presidential debate with Vice President Al Gore, the Republican presidential candidate said he wanted fast-track authority to open up foreign markets to U.S. farm produce. We need to open up markets.
Exports are down.
Every U.S. president since Gerald Ford has had fast-track authority. But Congress, under pressure from labor unions, refused to renew it for President Bill Clinton after it expired during his first term. Bush also said U.S. food exports should not suffer because of U.S. diplomatic disputes with a foreign country. We shouldn't be using food, it hurts the farmers. It's not the right thing to do.