Informal meeting of farm ministers

THE build up to the crucial world trade ministerial summit in Hong Kong in December moved up a gear when an informal weekend meeting of key players began yesterday in Queensland, Australia.

EU agriculture and rural development Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel is attending the gathering of farm ministers from Australia, the US, Japan, Canada and Europe. The last meeting was in Nara, Japan, in 2002.

Prospects for supply and demand in world agriculture, bilateral and multilateral agricultural trade developments will be discussed as will recent and planned agricultural reform proposals.