The National Pork Producers Council wants Vice President Al Gore to break an apparent logjam over pork products to Russia. The importance of including pork in the still pending aid package, announced last August, "cannot be overstated," says NPPC President John McNutt.

In 1998, the United States pledged 3.1 million tons of food aid to Russia, including 50,000 tons of pork.

NPPC said the supply and consumption of meat in Russia has declined dramatically in recent years. USDA estimates the pork supply in Russia from both domestic production and imports declined by more than 50% since 1990. McNutt said including pork in the food aid package will benefit the Russian people and U.S. pork producers.

"Since January 1998 our producers have lost in excess of $4 billion inequity," McNutt said the letter to Gore. "Although prices have rebounded somewhat from historic lows, the recent USDA hogs and pigs report reveals that prices will continue to hover below the break-even point for a whole class of economically threatened family producers."