BRYCE NEIDIG: This is as tall as I'm going to get. You saw me walk up here, so don't expect a whole lot more. I'm going to deviate from my printed testimony considerably because much of this has already been said, and it's little use in redundancy on this. Mike, I just want you to know and that I'm fully aware and used to the lights. I'm a veteran of the Toastmaster's Organization. We used lights always in the same color scheme, and I agree Kevin did a great job of timing that just exactly right.

I want to thank you for the opportunity to be here. My name is Bryce Neidig. I'm a farmer from Madison, Nebraska. Live just two miles north of Madison. I live in the house I was born in; the same house my father was born in. And my family has been in -- the farm has been in my immediate family for 106 years. My grand kids think I came with the place, but I didn't. I just -- that's to just establish some credibility at least. My son is a sixth generation, farming that same Madison County land. Our roots are tied deeply to agriculture. In addition, I happen to be at the present time President of the Nebraska Farm Bureau Federation, and we have -- and I have been deeply involved over the years in many trade issues. I at one time served as Chairman of the American Farm Bureau Trade Advisory Committee and have made a number of trips overseas and was with the Governor this past spring in April in traveling to Taiwan and Japan and also a trade mission to try to open markets for Nebraska agriculture products.

There's little use in repeating, but you're all aware the Nebraska farmers and ranchers are reeling from low commodity prices. As I've said many times--perhaps more relevant than ever--Nebraska agriculture lives or dies in the export markets. In my opinion, Nebraska agriculture may die a long and painful death in the 21st century global marketplace if the United States doesn't take a strong and aggressive role in agriculture in the upcoming WTO negotiations.

As a producer, the importance of agriculture exports to my bottom line is growing every year. On average, 37 percent of the Nebraska's farm cash receipts rely on the agriculture export market.

Our access to that market and our ability to open new markets are two policy issues that will determine the future of my farm operation. It does not take long for Nebraska producers to understand that in order to compete successfully for the export opportunities for the 21st century, they need fair trade practices and fair access to growing global markets.

Overall trade agreements have generally been good for Nebraska producers which I mentioned in my written testimony about practices by the Canadian government, and I'm just again personalizing some of this.

There's a small group of us -- when I "us", of agricultural leaders from a number of midwest and western states that are major wheat producers that have been for this and this is in the third year now, about twice a year meeting with some of our counterparts in Canada, such groups as the Saskatchewan Marketing Pool dealing with the wheat practices that are going on. We are making some -- having some significant success in my opinion of putting together agreements and willingness for those people we meet with to try and deal with and lobby their government as we deal with and lobby our government and try and work out some of the problems that we've seen happen over the years in the different -- in the problems between the United States and Canada.

It's imperative -- and here are some objectives that I list for the objectives for the next round in Seattle. I plan on being there at least at the plans at this time. It is imperative that we begin the agriculture negotiations and conclude them as early as possible to put the Nebraska ag producers on a level playing field with the rest of the world.

Number two, we must call for the elimination of export subsidies by all WTO member countries. We have already mentioned this a number of times. So much of this is being repetitive. The level of spending that happens in the world distorts world trade and undermines Nebraska producer's competitiveness in vital export markets.

Nebraska's two largest export products, feed grains and live animals are undercut in the export market because of treasuries of foreign countries. Nebraska producers cannot compete with the EU's bank account.

Number three, we must shorten and put some teeth in the dispute resolution process and procedures. Nebraska cattle producers continue to watch in disbelief the delay tactics and lack of discipline that the EU has displayed in regard to the compliance of the beef hormones case. What good is a trade agreement if one country is allowed to weaken the very principles that we have negotiated? We have to be more than sure that compliance will be adhered to by all WTO trading partners.

We believe that new negotiations must include a recommitment to binding agreements, to resolve sanitary and phytosanitary issues based scientific principles in accordance with the WTO agreement.

We must ensure market access for biotech products produced from genetically modified organisms. Recently I had farmer from England in my office visiting with me, and I made a remark then about the GMO and the fact that the Prince whatever his name is said he wasn't going to get any more than that. He said, you want to remember he's only one Brit.

We support a single undertaking for the next round where all the negotiations can conclude simultaneously.

Next, we must impose disciplines on state trading enterprises. And I've already mentioned the fact that I had been personally involved in some of these efforts with our Canadian counterparts.

In summary, I believe if farmers and ranchers in Nebraska as a whole support efforts to liberalize agricultural trade throughout the world. While the efforts going on into the next WTO trade round will not provide the immediate assistance that many producers are looking for during these tough times, it has never been more important for the future of agriculture to move forward with efforts to open export markets. The United States has a tremendous opportunity before it to shape the agenda of the next round, and the Nebraska producers and the future of Nebraska agriculture depend on that success.

I thank you.

MICHAEL LEPORTE: Now let me get into the swing of this a little bit because what we were supposed to be doing here, and, Bryce, don't go away. We've got two minutes built into this five-minute segment. We have these in seven-minute segments to get feedback if we need any from those that are here to listen today.

Let me look over here and see if there are any questions. Jim. I've got to do this different. Mr. Murphy.

JAMES MURPHY: On the GMO issue, a question which may not be entirely fair, obviously we are quite keenly aware of the problem. It's the solution that's a little tougher to come by. If you find the problem's one of lack of consumer confidence in the technology in Europe which I think is fundamentally the issue here, how does one address that problem? And who should be doing what about that? Should it be a matter of education, should the seed companies be doing this? Should the U.S. government be doing this? Who has the credibility to even speak to this issue and put it in context? If you have any -- you or any subsequent speakers have any thoughts on this, this is one we're currently wrestling with.

BRYCE NEIDIG: Certainly in my opinion, it has to be -- it is an issue of education. And how -- and I don't really have an answer. How do we educate we, me as a producer educate my counterpart or people in Europe that what we're producing is safe based on science? We're battling protectionism that is really difficult to battle. From -- speaking from a producer standpoint, one reason that I use GMO products such as Roundup Ready Soybeans, I don't want like to watch soybeans. I just sprayed yesterday for weeds in soybeans. I planted all GMO Roundup Ready Soybeans in the blind hope, if you will, that there will be a market for them. So far where I market my beans, there's no indication that there wouldn't be.

But we -- I promise in our my organization and principally everything else, I'll do everything we possibly can to do that education with our counterparts and my counterparts and the people that I know in the European countries to convince that this ought to be, and they can understand based on sound science rather than just simply rhetoric by a government.

JAMES MURPHY: Thank you.