WTO
told to focus more on rich nations' subsidies
MUMBAI:
Negotiations in the WTO must address the huge distortions caused by
massive subsidies, high tariff and import protection offered by most
developed nations to their food and fibre producers, said World Agricultural
Forum advisory board chairman James Bolger while talking on the current
state of global agriculture trade.
“Current
trade policies have some of the poorest farmers in the world pitted
in an unequal battle with the world’s biggest treasuries,” he said.
These
circumstances, according to him, demand that world leaders firmly deal
with the one big global agenda that would guarantee a return to forward
momentum in the world economy, and that is the Doha Development Round
of trade negotiations under the aegis of WTO.
He
said this here while delivering the Eighteenth annual commencement day
lecture of Exim Bank. Agriculture Finance Corporation chairman Jagdish
Capoor presided over the function and Exim Bank MD and CEO TC. Venkat
Subramanian also spoke on the occasion.
The
World Agricultural Forum advisory board chief said that India, as the
world’s largest democracy, has the opportunity, if not the obligation,
to take up the leadership role and help guide participants to a just
and sustainable outcome.
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
[ THURSDAY,
AUGUST 07, 2003 07:23:39 AM ]
