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THE WHITE HOUSE

                     Office of the Press Secretary
                           (Omaha, Nebraska)
________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                   December 8, 2000

PRESIDENT CLINTON NAMES ISLAM A. SIDDIQUI AS UNDER SECRETARY FOR MARKETING AND REGULATORY PROGRAMS AT THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF

AGRICULTURE

President Clinton announced today his intent to nominate Islam A. "Isi" Siddiqui as Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Dr. Islam A. Siddiqui, of Davis, California, has served as the Executive Assistant to the Secretary at the USDA, focusing on the coordination and development of the USDA's agricultural trade policy since 1999. Previously, Dr. Siddiqui was Deputy Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, dealing with sanitary and phytosanitary issues in international trade and agricultural marketing from 1997 to 1999. Before joining the USDA, Dr. Siddiqui worked at the California Department of Food and Agriculture for 28 years. As the Director for the Division of Plant Industry, Dr. Siddiqui was responsible for the plant pest prevention programs in California. He worked closely with USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in resolving a number of agricultural export problems with China, Japan, Australia, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, and the European Union member nations.

Dr. Siddiqui received his B.S. in Plant Protection from Uttar Pradesh Agricultural University in Pantnagar, India, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.

The Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs at the USDA provides leadership in the programs governing the inspection and grading of meats, grains, produce and poultry; develops effective and efficient marketing programs for domestic food and fiber; and manages veterinary services, plant protection and quarantine efforts. Additionally, the Under Secretary provides general direction over the programs and functions of the Agricultural Marketing Service, Animal and Plant Health Service, and the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration.

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