Date:  April 29, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Michael Stumo, 860.379.6199
P.O. Box 6486 - Lincoln, NE 68506 - www.competitivemarkets.com    
     
     
     
OCM Trade Fellow Appointed
Dr. Daniel De La Torre Ugarte
     
Lincoln ~ OCM announced today the appointment of its first OCM Trade Fellow, Dr. Daniel De La Torre Ugarte.  Dr. De La Torre Ugarte is an agricultural economist and the associate director of the University of Tennessee's Agricultural Policy Analysis Center (APAC).  The move comes as OCM broadens its antitrust focus to include international trade issues.
 
“We are honored Dr. De La Torre Ugarte accepted the OCM Trade Fellow position,” said Keith Mudd, OCM president.  “He has been a leader analyzing the international and domestic commodity supply impacts stemming from farm policy changes. 
 
Dr. De La Torre Ugarte’s primary areas of research have been commodity and energy policy.  He helped build and expand APAC’s vaunted national policy simulation model to evaluate the supply responsiveness of agricultural commodities resulting from the 1996 Freedom to Farm legislation. 
 
“I am flattered and pleased to receive the OCM Trade Fellow appointment,” said Dr. De La Torre Ugarte.  “OCM is a national leader on antitrust and trade policy issues contributing fresh thinking and viable solutions.  I look forward to contributing to future farm policy deliberations based upon objective data recognizing real world affects we have learned from the past.”
 
“OCM has been concerned international trade policy has been driven by ideology, not realism,” continued Mudd.  “Past farm bill debates have been fundamentally affected by fantasy export, price and supply predictions.  Dr. De La Torre Ugarte will help us bring objectivity and realism to future farm bill and trade agreement debates.”
 
Dr. De La Torre Ugarte is available to speak on issues including U.S. farm policy, international trade policy, energy policy, and industry structure in corn, soybean and wheat production and processing.  His OCM web page is at www.competitivemarkets.com/Experts/Ugarte/Ugarte.htm.
     

The Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM) is an agricultural free market and competition think tank working for honesty, prosperity and economic liberty for farmers, ranchers and rural communities.