Agriculture

Ten Years Later; Was NAFTA Oversold?

Grand Forks Herald | By Mikkel Pates | April 6, 2004 The North American Free Trade Agreement is 10 years old. That's something for agriculture to note - even celebrate - but the free trade agreement and others like it have been oversold, said Gene Hugoson, Minnesota commissioner of agriculture.

Japanese Not Budging On Mad Cow; Government Rejects U.S. Testing Proposal

Grand Forks Herald | By Jerry Hagstrom | April 5, 2004 The Bush administration does not appear to be making much headway in its attempts to convince the Japanese to reopen the U.S. beef market without testing all cattle for mad cow disease or bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

Foresters Decry Trade Encounter; Possible Option: Selling Off Land

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution | By PERALTE C. PAUL | April 6, 2004 As a forester in the northeast Georgia town of Washington, Jenny Brown is tied to the Southern yellow pine forests she and her father manage for clients.

Rice Restrictions Likely To Prove A Tough Sell At WTO

BusinessWorld | April 6, 2004 Convincing World Trade Organization (WTO) member-countries that the Philippines needs to retain quantitative restrictions (QRs) on rice may not be easy. The head of the Philippine negotiating team on QR retention, deputy administrator of the National Food Authority (NFA) Gregorio Tan, said negotiations may take time and may prove to be arduous.

USDA and USTR Statement Regarding Beef Trade with Japan

USDA | April 1, 2004

Bird Flu Eu Lifts Blanket Ban On US, Canadian Poultry Imports

AFX European Focus | March 30, 2004 The EU lifted a blanket ban on poultry imports from the US and Canada imposed over bird flu scares. EU health experts agreed to a proposal from the European Commission to limit the bans only to the areas affected by the outbreaks -- Texas for the United States and the western province of British Columbia for Canada.

UN Rights Expert Slams WTO-Led Push For Free Farm Trade

Agence France Presse | March 30, 2004 A UN human rights expert on Tuesday slammed the World Trade Organisation's handling of agricultural trade, saying countries should be allowed to opt out of liberalisation to ensure their populations are fed adequately.

Japanese Group Voices Opposition To Biotech Wheat

Associated Press | March 26, 2004 BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - As a state trade delegation negotiated contracts in Japan, a group from that country asked North Dakota's agriculture commissioner on Friday to resist the introduction of biotech wheat.

The Key To A Breakthrough On Trade And Poverty; Cotton

The International Herald Tribune | By Anwarul K. Chowdhury | March 26, 2004