As Stefanie noted yesterday "one in three acres on American farms is planted for hungry consumers overseas."  And there is room to, if you will pardon the pun, grow -- let's have a look:

"There’s no such thing as a ‘time out" in international trade," said Don Butler, immediate past president of the National Pork Producers Council, at a Washington, D.C., press conference today. Yet the U.S. Congress has remained "on the sidelines" while other countries have secured free-trade agreements with South Korea, Panama and Colombia, essentially leaving U.S. agriculture in the dust. "The South Korea FTA was finalized more than three years ago," Butler noted, "and it has set on the shelf awaiting congressional action."..."failure to follow through on these trade agreements is beyond frustrating, it’s mindboggling.

Meanwhile, Chile has had an FTA with South Korea since 2004, and the European Union is now at the negotiating table. According to Hayes, even without an EU FTA, the United States would be pushed out of that market within 20 years due to tariffs. Looking at Colombia and Panama, which Canada is currently closing in on an agreement, U.S. pork would be eliminated within 10 years. "U.S. agricultural products are being priced out of these markets," said Chip Bowling, representing NCGA. "It’s clear that in terms of FTAs, the United States is not just sitting still, it’s going backwards," Butler said. "Our industry and country cannot afford for this to happen."

Just pork exports heading to South Korea, would create an estimated 11,000 U.S. jobs. Of course adding Panama and Colombia as well as other U.S. ag sectors to the mix and more U.S. jobs are being held up due to Congress" in action. "USDA estimates that these three markets would mean $2.5 billion in additional agricultural exports," Stallman added. "It’s time to move forward for jobs, the economy and agricultural market access. Congress has the ability to fix this. They need to get down to business and get this done." 

More on the high cost of inaction here.