Opening Statment of Chairman Richard G. Lugar
United States Senator for Indiana

The Honorable Robert Bennett, U.S. Senator from Utah

Ms. Susan Offutt
Administrator
Economic Research Service
USDA
                   accompanied by Dayton Watkins, Administrator, Rural Business Service, USDA

Ms. Marsha Martin
Chairman and CEO
Farm Credit Administration
McLean, Virginia

Mr. Mark Drabenstott
Vice President
Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri

Dr. Mark Edelman
Rural Policy Research Institute
Iowa State University
Ames, Iowa

Mr. David Hemingway
Member of the Board of Directors
Federal Agriculture Mortgage Corporation
Washington, D.C.

Mr. Dennis Everson
Senior Vice President, First Dakota National Bank
American Bankers Association
Yankton, South Dakota

Ms. Terry Jorde
President and CEO, Towner County State Bank
Independent Bankers Association
Cando, North Dakota

Mr. Jerold Harris
President, Farm Credit Bank of Wichita
Farm Credit Council
Wichita, Kansas