No? Thank you, panelists very much.

Panel number 7, if you'd come forward please, Roger Baccigaluppi.

MR. BACCIGALUPPI: I knew you were going to have trouble with that.

CO-MODERATOR JONES: I knew I was going to have trouble with that too. How about if I just call you Roger?

MR. BACCIGALUPPI: That's good.

CO-MODERATOR JONES: Dr. Dan Sumner, Benjamin Taft and Glenn Vandervoort.

CO-MODERATOR LYONS: Good group here.

CO-MODERATOR JONES: Good afternoon.

CO-MODERATOR LYONS: Why don't we --

CO-MODERATOR JONES: They're backwards. Roger, Dr. Sumner, Mr. Taft and Mr. Vandervoort.

CO-MODERATOR LYONS: This comes off your time.

(Laughter.)

CO-MODERATOR JONES: Let your conscience be your guide.

USDA DEPUTY SECRETARY ROMINGER: We want to make sure Roger went first.

CO-MODERATOR JONES: Whenever you're ready start.

MR. BACCIGALUPPI: Good morning, it says here. Good afternoon. I expected to be here this morning. I'm delighted to be with you and appreciate the time you're taking to here the concerns of many people this afternoon and this morning.

My name is Roger Baccigaluppi. I'm Chairman of RB International, an international marketing consulting company. I served on President Clinton's Advisory Committee on Trade Policy Negotiations and on the California World Trade Commission.

For many years, I was the Chief Executive Officer of Blue Diamond growers, one of the nation's largest food exporters, retiring from that position January 1, 1992.

RB International, which was started shortly after that, has worked with some of the nation's largest food companies and organizations. Our work has included efforts on behalf of Dairy Management Incorporated, the U.S. Dairy Export Council, Western Pecan Growers Association, Farmland Industries, Tri-Valley Growers, Sunkist, Sunmade Growers, Dairy Farmers of America, Sundiamond Growers, the Port of Sacramento, Blue Diamond Growers and others.

Today, I simply wanted to testify on behalf of trade and are doing everything we can, as a nation, to expand the opportunities for sales of agricultural and food products outside the borders of the United States.

Only six percent of the potential market for our production lies in this country, with a whopping 94 percent being elsewhere. Would any person, country or state that wants to call itself a marketer ignore that much potential? Clearly, without a question of a doubt, we must be involved in international trade and we must take the World Trade Organization and the upcoming meetings in Seattle as a great opportunity to expand our trade.

California is not only the nation's leading export State, but the number one State in the union for agricultural exports. From almonds to Zucchini, exports, and the opening of new markets is of the highest importance to California agriculture. We should add that it's not just a matter of opening new markets and reducing tariffs, but also maintaining some of the gains we have gained in the NAFTA and Uruguay Round.

Some, the European Union in particular, would like to reopen the issue of the SPS agreement and amend the current World Trade Organization agreement, so that scientific knowledge, as a determinative of food safety, is diminished and popular opinion and emotion are given added value. To accede to these pressures will simply add another weapon to the arsenal of those who wish to impede international trade in food and agriculture and work to the detriment of California and U.S. agriculture.

No state has more to gain from working on behalf of expanded international trade and agriculture than California. California leads the nation in the production of dairy products, almonds, raisins, walnuts, peaches, lettuce, pistachios, and I could on, to save time I won't. It's probably already been said earlier today.

At the same time, though, it is clear that all states gain if we can prevail in keeping world markets open and expanding the opening of those that are today closed or only partially open. Again, the reason I wanted to appear today is that so many in America seem to think trade is the enemy. When, in fact, it's our great savior in the agriculture industry and elsewhere. So I wanted to speak on behalf of that.

Thank you.