Prosperity
Through Trade
NEWS RELEASE
CAFTA Supports
and Welcomes A Re-Vitalized
Cairns Farm
Leaders Group - Challenges Ministers
Ottawa
Friday April 1, 2005
– “Do Farmers
Support Free Trade? – Damn Right We Do” -
the slogan for a re-vitalized Cairns Group of
Farm Leaders is a welcome
and much needed statement of renewed
leadership at the World Trade Organization negotiations on agriculture
from
farmers in the world’s most trade dependent countries.
CAFTA’s
President Liam McCreery represented Canada’s
international market-dependent
producers and processors at this week’s meetings of Cairns Group
Ministers and
Farm Leaders in Cartagena Colombia. He congratulated Cairns Farm Leaders for
their renewed determination to “get what farmers were promised” in the
launch
of the Doha Round of negotiations.
“I am very
encouraged by the statements that the Chairman, Mr. Corish from Australia made to Cairns Group
Ministers in Cartagena,”
said Mr.
McCreery. “CAFTA agrees that WTO
Ministers have a ‘once in a lifetime opportunity to fundamentally
reform world
trade in agriculture’ and we strongly support the central message that
farmers
will not accept a limited outcome from this round of negotiations.”
CAFTA
and members of the Cairns Group of Farm Leaders
are challenging Ministers to deliver on the Doha Mandate for
agriculture –
“substantial improvements in market access; reductions of, with a view
to
phasing out, all forms of export subsidies; and substantial reductions
in
trade-distorting domestic support.”
While
in Cartagena,
Mr. McCreery met privately with Tim Groser, the Chair of the WTO
agriculture
negotiations, who stressed how important the next few months are going
to
be. “I committed to him that CAFTA and
its members will be constantly up front, on our own and with members of
the
Cairns Group Farm Leaders, seeking an ambitious agreement for the
world’s
agriculture producers, processors and consumers both in developed and
developing countries.”
Mr.
McCreery took the views of Canada’s
international market dependent sector
to private meetings with Australian Trade Minister Mark Vaile; Jim
Sutton, New Zealand’s
Minister for Trade Negotiations;
Roberto Rodrigues, Brazil’s
Minister of Agriculture and Mike Johanns, the new U.S. Agriculture
Secretary. CAFTA
also participated in a briefing session with Canada’s Minister of
Agriculture
and Agri-Food, the Honourable Andy Mitchell.
“CAFTA’s
message of opportunity through international
trade was very well received,” said Mr. McCreery. “I’m
confident that, working together, we can
take this once in a lifetime opportunity to make real and meaningful
gains in
international agricultural trade.”
-30-
For
Information:
Liam
McCreery, CAFTA President Cell: (519) 532-0202
Patty Townsend, CAFTA Executive Director Tel: (613) 560-0500
The
Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance
represents producers, processors and
exporters of agriculture and agri-food products, as well as suppliers
of
agricultural inputs. Accounting for over
80% of Canada’s
agriculture and food exports, and more than 60% of farm cash receipts,
CAFTA’s
members are united in their dependence on trade, and in their need for
a
liberalized trading environment.
|