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agriculture | farmers | food


Mercosur deal threat
Fears were growing this week that Europe could be swamped by South American beef imports under a new trade deal with the region.
New Zealand to Canada: get rid of poultry and dairy quotas
New Zealand’s trade minister has some strong advice for Canada if it wants to enter an emerging Pacific trade group: eliminate tariffs by ditching poultry and dairy quotas.
Supply management on table in EU talks, negotiator says
Canada is willing to talk about its protected farm industries in free trade negotiations with the European Union, but its goal is to keep its protectionist mechanism, supply management, in place, the country’s chief agriculture negotiator said Wednesday.
Harper government should heed calls for freer trade in dairy, poultry
The Harper government should bite the political bullet and agree to start dismantling the controversial supply-management system for dairy, poultry and egg farmers to boost Canada’s access to robust Asia-Pacific markets, analysts said Wednesday.
Pig farmers say imports cause bankruptcies, violate trade pact
Pig farmers denounced that thus far this year the Agriculture Ministry has approved the import of nearly 6,000 tons of pork meat beyond the amount approved for the entire 2011, violating the Free Trade Agreement’s (DR-CAFTA) tariff quota.
Free trade pacts bad for business: Colombian milk association
Colombia’s dairy sector needs government assistance to be able to compete with European farmers, said the president of the national milk producers’ association Friday.
Reformist Japan farmers urge free trade to spur change
With farmers like Saito outnumbered by those who fear opening up Japan’s farm market, Prime Minister Noda must face down opposition inside his Democratic Party of Japan if he is to tell US President Barack Obama that Tokyo wants to join the talks when they meet at a Nov. 12-13 Asia-Pacific summit in Hawaii.
Japanese farmers protest against possible trade pact
Thousands of Japanese farmers marched through central Tokyo on Wednesday to push the government not to join a regional free trade pact that will likely hit the nation’s small farmers.
SA and the EU trade negotiations - A step closer
In negotiations to forge an economic partnership agreement (EPA), the EU has agreed to improve market access for about 80% of the agricultural products South Africa has asked to be accepted. However, the EU has yet to budge on wine, sugar and starch.
ACP, LDC sugar suppliers deplore EC’s CAP proposals
The ACP and LDC cane sugar suppliers express their profound concern and dismay at the Commission’s proposals in respect of the elimination of sugar quotas in the context of the CAP reform announced on 12 October 2011.
’Buy local’ food policies not at risk in EU deal: Ritz
Canada’s agriculture minister says he’s heard nothing in European free trade talks that would jeopardize policies favouring local food suppliers, but the National Farmers Union says a draft text suggests otherwise.
“Mercosur won’t destroy European agriculture”, says EU business lobby
The head of Business-Europe International Relations said Wednesday that a free trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur “would not destroy European agriculture” in spite of fears from farmers.
EU farm losses from trade deal with Mercosur ‘would range 1 to 3 billion Euros’
European Union farmers could suffer losses ranking from one to three billion Euros if a trade agreement is finally agreed with Mercosur according to a European Commission evaluation paper on the impact.
Developing countries query European bid to abolish sugar quotas
The ACP Sugar Group has recently been made aware through media reports of an “impact study” made by and for the European Commission, reportedly due for release in October 2011. This study refers to proposals for changes in the European sugar regime. It is hoped that this is not accurate as some of the key assumptions and results are more than questionable.
SADC intra-regional trade pathetic
Intra-regional trade is really pathetic within the Southern African Development Community, says United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Senior Regional Agriculture Programme Manager Cecilia Kuphe.
EU pits Alberta beef against Quebec dairy products in Canada trade talks
The European Union may refuse to open its market to more Canadian beef, pork and sweet corn unless Canada provides better access to its heavily protected dairy sector, a senior European diplomat said.
Liberalizing the economy may crush the culture of one small island
Opening up the Korean market to cheap US citrus imports would simply wipe out most of the farm economy on Jeju Island.
S. Korea expands support for farming sectors to cut losses from FTAs
The government will set aside a total of 22.1 trillion won (US$20.5 billion) to help local farmers and fishing households who could get hurt by cheaper foreign products.
NFU opposes EU free trade provisions
The National Farmers Union (NFU) has joined voices with the Council of Canadians to warn Canadians in general and the agricultural community in particular about the dangers/threat of the Comprehensive and Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) being forged between Canada and the European Union.