Fed: Hopes for ag breakthrough talks dim: poll

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Fed: Hopes for ag breakthrough talks dim: poll

CANBERRA, Aug 5 AAP - Australian farmers' hopes for a breakthrough on world trade talksmay be dashed at a meeting of world trade ministers next month, a new poll has found.

The University of Adelaide's Institute for International Business, Economics and Lawsurvey of policy-makers across the globe shows many fear agricultural reform is stalled.

Trade ministers will meet in the Mexican resort city of Cancun next month to discussthe progress of the current round of World Trade Organisation (WTO) talks.

Agriculture was supposed to be central to this round of talks, with Australia and otheragricultural nations hoping for major cuts in tariffs and subsidies and large increasesin market access opportunities.

But the poll found just 29 per cent of those surveyed believe there will be a breakthroughon agriculture at Cancun.

More than 80 per cent said market access, such as Australia's pleas to get more lamband beef into the European market, would be the hardest issue to tackle.

There was greater confidence that issues surrounding the supply of cheap drugs to developingnations would be resolved at the meeting.

The institute's Andrew Stoler said a failure in agricultural negotiations would havea major impact on the entire round of talks.

"Coming on the heels of a series of missed negotiating deadlines, a failure for agriculturewould have serious negative repercussions on other topics under negotiation in the Doharound," he said in a statement.

"Already, experts see little chance of breakthroughs on other difficult subjects likethe proposed launch of negotiations on an investment agreement and a registration systemfor wines and spirits geographic indications."

Professor Stoler said it appeared from the responses given to the survey that manyof those involved in the trade talks were questioning the motives of other countries.

"With just about five weeks to go before Cancun, WTO negotiators clearly have theirwork cut out for them."

AAP sw/sb/cjh/jlw

KEYWORD: WTO