Fargo/Moorhead Farmers Unveil Names of More Than 25,000 Petition Signatures at Local Sugarbeet Farm.

32,000 Jobs Are Threatened in North Dakota and Minnesota by Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) - Petition to Be Delivered to President Bush

WHAT: A gathering of family farmers, elected officials and supporters will unveil the names of more than 25,000 supporters to defeat CAFTA at the local sugarbeet field of Mark Nyquist. The rallying farmers are voicing their concerns of the more than 32,000 jobs threatened if CAFTA is ratified by Congress. CAFTA threatens local and national agriculture industry, North Dakota and Minnesota's economies, and vital farm and factory jobs in the communities throughout the region.

CAFTA allows for drastically reduced trade tariffs between the United States and five Central American countries (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua) and the Dominican Republic. CAFTA threatens to flood United States farm markets with cheap imports from these countries.

Sen. Kent Conrad, Sen. Byron Dorgan, Rep. Earl Pomeroy, Rep. Collin Peterson and Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson will be on hand to discuss the importance of a thriving agriculture community in the Fargo/Moorhead and surrounding areas. Governor John Hoeven invited.

Local communities are advocating the defeat of CAFTA and preservation of family farms and the jobs of thousands of growers and plant workers. More than 25,000 supporters of the Midwest Fair Trade Coalition have signed a petition encouraging the defeat of CAFTA. Advocates will be sending the petition to President Bush this fall.

PHOTO/INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITY:

--Unveiling of 25,000 petition signatures by family farmers and others advocating against CAFTA with the visual backdrop of a sugar field and farming equipment.

--Interviews with sugarbeet farmers and their families who can speak about how CAFTA could destroy their livelihoods and with Midwest Fair Trade Coalition members including representatives of American Crystal Sugar Company, Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative and Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association.

--Interviews with government officials speaking at event: Sen. Kent Conrad, Sen. Byron Dorgan, Rep. Earl Pomeroy, Rep. Collin Peterson and Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson.

WHEN/WHERE:

2 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 16

Mark Nyquist Sugarbeet Farm (6541 40th St. S., Moorhead, Minn. 56560)

From Fargo:

--Go south on South University Drive to 52nd Ave. South

--Turn left (east) on 52nd Ave., proceed east across the Red River Bridge, this road becomes Clay County 12 on the Minnesota side

--From the bridge, go east 3.7 miles to Clay County 7

--Turn right (south) on Clay County 7 (this is gravel) for 1/2 mile

--Turn left (east) and proceed 1/4 mile into the farm

BACKGROUND:

Midwest Fair Trade Coalition was formed by American Crystal Sugar Company, Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative and Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association to educate North Dakota and Minnesota residents on issues related to free and fair trade agreements with other countries. Midwest Fair Trade Coalition advocates that free and fair trade should benefit all parties involved without sacrificing American jobs. More information is available at www.mdfarmerscoop.com and www.crystalsugar.com.