Agri-trade reforms at WTO cause concern for Irish farmers

FREE agri-trade became a possibility after the World Trade Organisation last week proposed that its 147 member countries eliminate subsidies and credits on agricultural exports.

The European Commission welcomed the draft as a good starting point to talks going on this week in Geneva.

WTO countries must yet examine the draft proposal, before key trade talks later this month.

“Overall, the draft is a basis for discussion in Geneva in the coming days, and now the end game can begin,” said an EU spokesman. He added that any agreement should also lock the United States into reforming farm support.

Here, sources in ICMSA said the proposal to abolish export refunds by an agreed date would, if implemented, have a disproportionately negative impact on Irish farmers, by knocking out 20% of beef exports and 30% of dairy exports.

Meanwhile, Irish Agriculture and Food Minister Joe Walsh said final agreement was unlikely until well into 2005. He said that while the EU was prepared to accept substantial reductions in import tariffs, Ireland would be seeking to protect EU markets from increased competition from imports in the case of sensitive products such as beef and dairy products.

He said he will seek to form alliances and to support like-minded colleagues in this week’s EU Council of Agriculture Ministers in order to oppose any proposals which might damage the CAP and the interests of European farm families.