MINUTES

BORDER GOVERNORS CONFERENCE
AGRICULTURE WORK TABLE
AUGUST 9-10, 2004
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO

The Agriculture Work Table (AWT) met on both August 9 and 10.  The following are summaries of the discussions that took place.

August 9, 2004:

The AWT began with an introduction of those present then proceeded with an initial review of the 2004-2005 recommendations and work plan.  

 After the review, concerns were raised by the AWT that the governors were conducting meetings on water and energy/environmental matters and have not consulted with agricultural departments prior to the meetings nor invited agricultural department representatives to attend the meetings.  Since agricultural producers are a major user of water and energy as well as environmental stewards of the land, it is important for agricultural interests to be considered and included.  It was agreed that the AWT representatives would relay these concerns to their individual governors.  Additionally, the AWT co-chairs on behalf of the entire AWT will send a letter to all the border governors relaying the same message.  Baja California and Texas will draft the letter and send out for each state’s approval before sending.

August 10, 2004:

The AWT began with introductions of those present then proceeded with a thorough review of the 2004-2005 recommendations and work plan followed by presentations from several states including such topics as the 2004 Food Safety Seminar, Green Onion Protocol, Nutrition, Cactus Moth, Expediting the Movement of Goods and Services Between the United States and Mexico and the Harmonization of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Programs to Facilitate Trade.  

ISSUES I and II

It was agreed to that Issues I and II should be combined.  The Animal and Plant Health Workshops and the Bioterrorism Exercise should be conducted at the same time – having the workshops first followed by the bioterrorism exercise.  It was further agreed that the AWT should submit only one proposal for funding for the animal and plant health workshops and the bioterrorism exercise.  The lead on developing the omnibus proposal will be New Mexico (Tom Bagwell) and Chihuahua (Alfredo Attolini).  However, the lead states for the individual activities in Issues I and II are responsible for working with New Mexico and Chihuahua to develop the omnibus proposal.  These states are Texas (Shashank Nilakhe), Nuevo Leon (Gustavo Frias), Arizona (John Hunt), Sonora (Jose Camalich/Miguel Cordoba) and Coahuila (Mariano Fuentes).  This group will use the draft proposal that Texas and Nuevo Leon developed for the Plant Health Workshop.  The proposal is to be finalized by October 1, 2004, in order for the AWT co-chairs to submit it to USDA and SAGARPA.  

ISSUE III
Baja California (Arturo Elias) and California (Victor Velez) will take the lead on coordinating the meeting at the Food Safety Seminar in Ensenada in August 2005.  It was determined that planning for this meeting will start in full force in January 2005.  Representatives from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will be invited as they are already working on similar efforts.  

Each border state is asked to share what their agricultural industries best management practices are that reduce the risk of chemical and microbiological food contamination.

MISC.

• Sonora and Arizona are co-chairs elect and will take over the AWT in August 2005  

• It was agreed that the AWT should invite federal government representatives to AWT meetings.

• Baja California offered to host the next meeting of the full AWT in March of 2005.  Confirmation of this offer is still needed.