英语 英语 日语 日语 韩语 韩语 法语 法语 德语 德语 西班牙语 西班牙语 意大利语 意大利语 阿拉伯语 阿拉伯语 葡萄牙语 葡萄牙语 越南语 越南语 俄语 俄语 芬兰语 芬兰语 泰语 泰语 泰语 丹麦语 泰语 对外汉语

AGRICULTURE REPORT - Congress Delays Country of Origin Label

时间:2006-02-27 16:00来源:互联网 提供网友:aa9841   字体: [ ]
    (单词翻译:双击或拖选)

AGRICULTURE REPORT - Congress Delays Country-of-Origin Labeling
By Mario Ritter

Broadcast: Tuesday, January 27, 2004

This is Faith Lapidus with the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.

The United States Congress has acted to delay a new requirement to identify food products by the country they came from. Food sellers would have to tell people where meat and fish were raised, and where fruits and vegetables were grown.

Congress passed the requirement for country-of-origin labeling two years ago. The measure was to take effect this September. But a spending bill approved last Thursday included an amendment1 to delay the rule until two-thousand-six.

Senator Tom Daschle and other supporters of labeling say they will try to stop the delay. Mister Daschle, leader of the Democratic minority in the Senate, says the delay would kill the program.

But Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman says country-of-origin labeling is a marketing2 tool and not a food safety program. She says the delay is needed to give Congress more time to consider the effects of the requirements.

Major processors, producers and sellers oppose the rule. They say all it would do is increase costs. Some industry groups say they will organize their own labeling system, but not as a requirement.

Many smaller and independent farmers say people are interested to know where their food comes from. Supporters of labeling note a recent public opinion study. It found that eighty-two percent of Americans would like to see country-of-origin labeling. The National Farmers Union and other farm groups, as well as public interest groups, say they will fight the delay.

Bill Bullard is chief executive officer of a cattle producers group called R-Calf USA. USA stands for United Stockgrowers of America. Mister Bullard tells us that forty-eighty countries already have such measures. He says labeling is an urgent issue. He says nothing proves this better than the recent case of mad cow disease in Washington state. Officials learned that the infected cow had been imported from Canada.

Currently, imported beef receives the same mark of Agriculture Department approval as American beef. But many of those who raise American beef are not happy with that. They say they work hard to sell the best product, and they want people to know. Tom Connelley is a rancher in South Dakota. He sells his beef directly to the public. And he says business is improving.

This VOA Special English Agriculture Report was written by Mario Ritter. This is Faith Lapidus.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 amendment Mx8zY     
n.改正,修正,改善,修正案
参考例句:
  • The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
  • The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。
2 marketing Boez7e     
n.行销,在市场的买卖,买东西
参考例句:
  • They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
  • He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。
本文本内容来源于互联网抓取和网友提交,仅供参考,部分栏目没有内容,如果您有更合适的内容,欢迎点击提交分享给大家。
------分隔线----------------------------
顶一下
(0)
0%
踩一下
(0)
0%
最新评论 查看所有评论
发表评论 查看所有评论
请自觉遵守互联网相关的政策法规,严禁发布色情、暴力、反动的言论。
评价:
表情:
验证码:
听力搜索
推荐频道
论坛新贴