Will Hill be Puttin' on the Ritz at WTO?

[Fransisco]

If you think the BOARD is representing or is the voice of small and medium size farmers you are sadly mistaken. The board is there for the board and that is it.

90% of farmers get most of their income from exports and trade. 40% of Canada's GDP comes from exports and trade.

The lowering of trade barrier's, subsidies and tariffs around the world would be a good thing for most farmers and for Canada as a whole.

The wheat board is opposed to this because it is a barrier to trade itself. It is by its very nature the quintessential special interest group in Geneva.

[parsley]

Rumor from a sterling source reports that SM5 (Supply Management) are certainly pushing their say and have sent over 40 voices to the WTO, and although some of them have gone home, it is being whispered that new ones are on their way to replace them.


Parsley

[parsley]

Canada will be signing a deal soon, as no deal is not an answer.

Parsley

[parsley]

haven't been on for a while but on this issue I read in the thread above the motion that was unanimously passed in Parliament.
That was then and under another government. Motions are just that, it has no bearing on this government or effect. The idea of getting this done now is it could be several years before talks good restart if they ever do. A bad deal is not wanted either, we need the best possible deal for Canada. Supply management of course wants the best too. So Canada is of split personalities over there for sure.
Got to ask your SM5 neighbours how they can afford such a lobbying effort? what did some one say they had over 45 people over there? wow, I bet it is not a cheep place to be.
I applaude those over there working on my behave as a grain/oilseed producer. If we dont' get a good deal, its going to be hard to survive the next war of export subsidies from the US and EU and no doubt others now.
Erik

[Burbert]

CANADA has never, never, never gotten a good deal on anything. The Americans and Europeans, Asians, even the Afgans sucker us, each and every time. We don't know what we are doing. We play soft ball, not hard ball, never have, never will, cause we are the good guys on the block and the blockheads all at the same time. We continue to give stuff away. Did you notice a press release the other day that said, they believe that there are 40 billion barrels of oil trapped in the Arctic, and that the US and Denmark are struggling for control of it. Where the hell is Canada. Oh forgot to mention, Canada, can have the ice in the Arctic................

[LWeber]

Burbert:

You are the only man who I'd put money on to find something negative about getting laid.

And i mean that in the nicest possible way...

[Fransisco]

Not just getting laid, getting laid by Angelina Jolie!

[parsley]

QUOTE

CAFTA News Release



Canada’s Agriculture Exporters Thank Ministers Fortier, Ritz for Staying the Course





July 28, 2008 – Geneva Switzerland - After concerns last week that negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Meetings in Geneva were close to falling apart, potentially costing Canadian agricultural exporters billions of dollars in lost export opportunities, the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance (CAFTA) is pleased and relieved that negotiations are continuing. Countries involved in the meetings agreed to continue talking after WTO Director General Pascal Lamy tabled a package of compromise parameters for agricultural tariff and subsidy reductions. CAFTA, a coalition of national and regional organizations, associations and companies that support a more open and fair international trading environment for agriculture and agri-food, is urging Canadian negotiators to seek commercially meaningful market access gains for all Canadian agri-food products.



“Minister of Agriculture and Agri Food Gerry Ritz has informed CAFTA that he and Minister of Trade Michael Fortier will see these negotiations through to their conclusion, which now looks likely to happen Thursday of this week,” says Darcy Davis, President of CAFTA. “Several of our CAFTA delegates have made arrangements to stay in Geneva through the rest of the week as well, to continue lobbying Canada’s negotiators to show leadership in seeking new rules that will substantially reduce trade distorting support, expand access to export markets, and provide significant gains for Canadian agri-food exporters.



Independent analysis has confirmed that new WTO rules as currently being negotiated would bring an additional $3 Billion per year in Canadian agricultural exports. Without a new agreement, the future competitiveness of Canada’s agriculture industry is at stake. Prosperity for Canadian agriculture is vitally dependent on trade, now and in the future.



For further information:

Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance Ottawa office 613-560-0500

UNQUOTE

Parsley

[parsley]

"For immediate release


WESTERN BARLEY GROWERS CONCERNED WITH FAILURE OF WTO TALKS

July 30, 2008 – Geneva, Switzerland: The announcement that the current round of talks and negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO) Doha round have failed comes as a blow to Western Barley Growers Association (WBGA) members and western Canadian producers. Potential gains to the 90 percent of Canadian agriculture that are dependant on international markets for trade could have been in excess of $ 3 billion dollars yearly.



“To see the Doha round of negotiations fail, and perhaps not find ways to extend talks leading to further negotiations concerns me greatly” commented Jeff Nielsen WBGA President, and Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) Vice President. Nielsen, who has been in Geneva as a representative of the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance (CAFTA), stated in an interview that; “Going forward will be extremely difficult due to several events including this falls US elections”.



“This is very disappointing for many sectors of the Canadian economy,” continues Nielsen. “What sometimes is lost in the discussions within Canada is that agricultural negotiations must come to an agreement before the non agriculture and service sectors can conclude any agreement. Getting an agricultural agreement positively impacts every product and service exported from Canada” .

In summarizing his time in Geneva Nielsen expressed gratitude to the many provincial Agriculture Ministers from Canada at the talks. He specifically thanked Ministers Hon. Rosann Wowchuk (Manitoba), Hon. Bob Bjornerud (Saskatchewan), Hon. George Groeneveld (Alberta) and Hon. Stan Hagen (British Columbia) for their efforts in ensuring the interests of western Canadian producers were represented and heard.

The Doha Development Round is the current trade-negotiation round of the World Trade Organization (WTO) which commenced at Doha, Qatar in November 2001. Its objective is to lower trade barriers around the world, permitting free trade between countries of varying prosperity.


For more information contact:

Jeff Nielsen

President ~ WBGA
Cell: 403.556.0408

jeffniel@platinum.ca

Note: At the time of this release Nielsen is currently on his way home from Geneva"

UNQUOTE


Parsley