AFBF Wants Market Access for Lower U.S. Subsidies

LANSING - Oct 13/05 - MFB -- The United States on Monday proposed some major changes to its domestic agricultural support programs in an effort to jump start the upcoming Doha Round of World Trade Organization (WTO) trade talks.

Trade ministers from around the world are meeting this week in Switzerland to develop an outline for the finalization of negotiations which are scheduled to take place in December in Hong Kong. While the final outcome of the Doha Round is far from assured, the proposal outlining specific steps that the United States is willing to take represents significant progress.

"The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) believes bold action is needed to eliminate export subsidies and provide commercially meaningful access to world markets for America's farmers and ranchers," said AFBF President Bob Stallman from Geneva, Switzerland. "The agricultural trade proposals put forth by the United States will significantly advance that position within the WTO agriculture negotiations."

Stallman said AFBF is calling on U.S. Trade Ambassador Rob Portman and Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns "to continue their strong advocacy to secure enhanced market access for U.S. farm products that would be worthy of further reform in the area of U. S. domestic supports."

The administration's proposal to address these areas of trade policy will help frame the discussion regarding the next U.S. farm bill, said Stallman, acknowledging that changes in domestic support programs resulting from an agreement will result in significant short-term economic challenges for some commodities and specific farm types.

"We firmly believe, however, that in the long term, U.S. agriculture will overcome any challenge through the expanded opportunity for exports created by the removal of export subsidies and specific and measurable improvements in market access," he said.

"It must be emphasized that real trade reform must include substantial, ambitious and quantifiable expansion in access to markets," said Stallman. "We will do our share on domestic support, but developed and developing countries must do their part in reforming and expanding market access opportunities. While the proposal does not specifically address what developing countries must offer in return, we expect them to be ambitious in expanding market access."

Copyright (c) 2005 Michigan Farm Bureau