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agriculture | farmers | food

A juicy deal
21-Apr-2007
Sunny prospects for the state’s citrus industry are among many good reasons for Florida’s members of Congress to get behind a proposed free-trade agreement between the United States and South Korea.
S. Korea, Canada to hold FTA talks next week
19-Apr-2007
The South Korean government said Thursday it will hold its 10th round of free trade agreement (FTA) talks with Canada next week in Seoul.
Bilateral free trade agreements critical for Canadian pork industry competitiveness
19-Apr-2007 ThePigSite
Canada Pork International is urging Ottawa to put a high priority on establishing bilateral free trade agreements to ensure Canadian agriculture is able to remain competitive with its international counterparts
India: China seeks market economy status
18-Apr-2007 The Hindu
India and China together represent the "new global economic architecture" Indian Commerce Minister Kamal Nath said on Tuesday. But India and China themselves are often embroiled in fractious trade disputes.
BIO commends USTR for successfully concluding US-Korea free trade agreement
17-Apr-2007 BIO
BIO congratulates US Chief Agricultural Negotiator Richard Crowder and his staff for negotiating a separate understanding on several agricultural biotechnology issues. The FTA will go a long way in providing additional market access opportunities in Korea for US biotechnology companies.
US slow to talk free trade if Japan keeps rice off table
13-Apr-2007 Financial Express
The United States said yesterday it was reluctant to negotiate a free trade deal with Japan unless the Asian nation opened up its agriculture sector. Although Washington agreed to exclude rice from its free trade agreement with South Korea, it would not offer a similar concession to Japan, Assistant US Trade Representative Wendy Cutler told reporters.
Caricom wants ’special provisions’ for sugar, bananas
12-Apr-2007 Jamaica Gleaner
The EU concession announced last week to remove all remaining quota and tariff restrictions on ACP products includes a phase-out period for rice and sugar, but does not mention bananas.
With FTA ink still drying, cow farmers feel change already
11-Apr-2007 Hankyoreh
With US beef import tariffs to be relaxed, Korean beef farmers watch prices drop
Sunkist Growers pleased with success of US-Korea FTA negotiations
10-Apr-2007 FreshPlaza
Sunkist has long urged the United States government to undertake an FTA with Korea to reduce its tariffs on US citrus. Mike Wootton, Sunkist senior vice president of corporate relations, was in Seoul, in constant consultations with US negotiators, during the final two-week session as citrus issues were tabled.
Scientist warns of US FTA used to push GE rice
10-Apr-2007 TWN
Dr. Michael K Hansen, from US Centre of Consumer Policy, advises a cautious attitude towards an FTA with the US as the US has a hidden agenda in seeking to protect its farmers who now face more than RM4.6 billion in losses due to the lack of demand for GE rice.
Rural Catholic diocese criticizes Korea-US Free Trade Agreement
9-Apr-2007
Catholics in a rural South Korean diocese have protested their government’s "unpardonable" free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States, warning that an influx of US imports would destroy local farming communities.
Lawmaker raises FTA suspicions
9-Apr-2007
A lawmaker of the pro-government Uri Party Monday raised various suspicions over the landmark free trade agreement (FTA) deal struck between South Korea and the United States on April 2.
South-south trade can lift rural farm fortunes
8-Apr-2007
Developments over the past few days have re-confirmed that the developing countries are more eager than developed countries to break the deadlock in multilateral trade. The developing countries have shown ample flexibility, without waiting for a response from the developed world.
Farmers want Comesa order extended
8-Apr-2007
Sugar cane farmers have added their voice to demands that Government seeks an extension of the Comesa moratorium, which comes into effect from early next year. The Kenya Sugarcane Grower’s Union officials petitioned President Kibaki to lead the extension campaign to enable local factories and market get ready to compete with the imports from the region.
Korean beef market to get tougher
8-Apr-2007
The US-Korea Free Trade Agreement will allow the US greater access to one of Australian beef’s premier export markets.
Farmer kills one, injures two over FTA
5-Apr-2007 Hankyoreh
Discouraged by the April 2 settlement of the US-Korea free trade agreement (FTA), a Korean farmer fired upon several others, killing one and injuring another two.
US warns it will not sign FTA with S Korea until beef issue is resolved
5-Apr-2007 Yonhap
The Bush administration warned Wednesday it will not sign the free trade agreement (FTA) with South Korea unless the Asian trading partner fully reopens its beef market.
EU makes tricky offer more tempting
5-Apr-2007 IPS
The European Union has this week sought to increase the likelihood that it will sign controversial free trade agreements with African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries by offering to open its markets to virtually all of their agricultural goods.
Letter from Japanese farmers to Prime Minister of Thailand
1-Apr-2007 Via Campesina
From our standpoint, upcoming Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between Thailand and Japan involves big problems which will bring misery of people in both countries.
FTA-inflicted farm households to get subsidy
30-Mar-2007 Korea Times
The Korean government is moving to soothe the anger of farmers and others who will be affected by a free trade agreement (FTA) with the United States by committing a package of measures aimed at supporting them.