www.asianfarmers.org

THE government is carefully weighing its options on protecting the Philippines’ rice market, as it could entail opening up the country’s market for other farm goods traded under the World Trade Organization (WTO).

An official of the Department of Agriculture (DA) also disclosed that it would be up to the next administration to determine whether it would negotiate for the retention of the quantitative restriction (QR) on rice.

“[The DA] will just make a recommendation but it will be up to the next administration whether it will go for the retention of the QR,” said the DA official who is privy on trade matters.

So far, the official said the DA has not yet come up with a final recommendation regarding the possible extension of the QR on rice and that the matter is under “careful study.”

Read the full story at Business Mirror

As an agricultural country with a variety of products topping the world’s import list, every year Vietnam still has to spend a large amount of foreign currency to import farm products, including vegetables, fruits, salt and milk. This paradoxical fact has existed for many years.

A variety of imported agricultural products are sold in markets and supermarkets in Vietnam. Most of them come from the US, China, Australia, Thailand and Japan. While Vietnamese agricultural products have difficulty in finding consumer markets, similar imported products continue to enter the daily meal of Vietnamese families.

In 2009, the agricultural sector achieved high revenues from exporting farm produce, earning US$15.4 billion, above the yearly set target of US$12 billion despite the global economic downturn. Vietnam was among the world’s largest exporters of rice, coffee, peppers and cashew nuts. However, last year the country also spent almost US$150 million importing vegetables and fruits from China and US$45 million purchasing farm products from Thailand. Furthermore, Vietnamese farmers have grown a lot of maize and cassava, but they still have to import fodder for cattle and fish from 25 countries around the world.

Read the full article at VOV News

The Philippines will use the same line of defense it has been employing with the European Union (EU) when it negotiates with a new complainant over its tax system on distilled spirits—the United States.

The USTR Thursday last week filed a World Trade Organization (WTO) challenge against Philippine excise taxes on alcohol that it said discriminate against US-made brands, particularly whisky and gin.

Manuel A.J. Teehankee, the Philippines permanent representative to the WTO, said the Philippines would continue to balance the interests of the country’s farmers affected by the tax regime.

Read the full story at Malaya

Pham Quang Dieu from the Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture spoke to Tuoi tre (Youth) newspaper about agricultural production since Viet Nam acceded to the WTO.

The WTO’s effect on Viet Nam during the financial crisis is still not clear. What lessons about economic integration has been learned since the crisis?

First, the crisis revealed the shortcomings of the economy and industries. Such shortcomings existed in the competitiveness of local products and the ability of companies to adapt. The crisis also emphasised the need for the application of international technical standards in import and export. The recession also shed light on the limited capacity of supervision mechanisms for imported goods such as vegetables and meats that are necessary to protect consumers’ health.

Secondly, the crisis sounded the alarm for the need for economic integration. After reducing the tax on import products under the WTO, several foreign countries often build a lot of technical barriers on imported goods so that they can promote their own products.

Read the full article at Viet Nam News

AFA participated in a WTO public forum entitled “Global Problems, Global Solutions: Towards Better Global Governance” held last 28 30 September 28 30, 2009 in Geneva, Switzerland.

Click here for more information about the WTO Public Forum 2009: http://www.wto.org/english/forums_e/public_forum09_e/public_forum09_e.htm

AFA Secretary General Esther Penunia was a panellist for a session organized by IATP on September 29 at 2:15-4:15 PM entitled “A new global contract for food and agriculture: what can the WTO contribute?”

Click here for a blog article and audio recording of the session from AITP: http://iatp.typepad.com/thinkforward/2009/10/another-take-on-wto-and-food-stuff.html

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Renato Penas, Vice-President of PAKISAMA, was ambushed dead by unidentified gunmen at 11:00 PM yesterday, on the way to his farm in Sumilao, Bukidnon.

He was 51.

His 2 companions are in the hospital nursing gunshot wounds.

It was a high price to pay for selflessly dedicating himself to the agrarian reform movement.

He is one of the most respected, trusted farmer-leaders, and whose creative, dynamic ideas have fired the spirits of many farmers to make the agrarian reform program truly work in the country.

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BANGKOK, April 24 (Bernama) — Eight Southeast Asian countries are among 26 nations identified as hotspots for food insecurity in the region, according to the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security in Asia and the Pacific report released by the United Nations (UN) Friday.

Cambodia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar and the newest nation Timor Leste were cited in the report along with Afghanistan, Nepal, Armenia, New Caledonia, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Papua New Guinea, North Korea, Solomon Islands, Georgia, Sri Lanka, India, Tajikistan, Maldives, Uzbekistan, Mongolia and Vanuatu.

The total population of these countries is more than 2.2 billion, which is 53.8 per cent of the region’s population.

Read the full article at Bernama

BBC, Tuesday, 29 July 2008 23:46 UK

Marathon talks in Geneva aimed at liberalising global trade have collapsed, the head of the World Trade Organisation has said.

Pascal Lamy confirmed the failure, which officials have blamed on China, India and the US failing to agree on import rules.

EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson said the result was “heartbreaking”.

The talks were launched in 2001 in Doha and were seen as providing a cornerstone for future global trade.

The main stumbling block was farm import rules, which allow countries to protect poor farmers by imposing a tariff on certain goods in the event of a drop in prices or a surge in imports.

India, China and the US could not agree on the tariff threshold for such an event.

Washington said that the “safeguard clause” protecting developing nations from unrestricted imports had been set too low.

Read more

The Canadian Press, July 29, 2008

GENEVA — Developing countries raised the spectre of millions of destitute subsistence farmers Monday as they pressed for extra protection of their domestic rice producers from surges in foreign imports.

India and Indonesia have led demands for a “special safeguard” to be included in a new global trade pact being negotiated in Geneva, despite opposition from the United States and agricultural exporters in Latin America.

Trade Minister Mari Pangestu of Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous country, said she has to ensure the survival of some 60 million farmers – mostly small-scale rice growers – who are vulnerable to competition from large foreign producers.

Poor countries want the power to increase tariffs on rice and other foods as soon as either imports rise or prices drop by a certain level. The U.S., European Union and others have proposed severe restrictions before countries can invoke emergency tariffs, Pangestu said.

“It’s so limited that we cannot use it, whatever the situation – food crisis or no food crisis,” said the agricultural economist, who is opposing a tentative deal laid out last week by WTO chief Pascal Lamy.

Read more

Quezon City, Philippines – While negotiators from 39 member countries of WTO again meet in Geneva this week for a mini-ministerial meeting in efforts to conclude the much delayed, much controversial Doha Development Round of Negotiations, around 100 farmers and supporters belonging to the Pambansang Kilusan ng mga Samahang Magsasaka (PAKISAMA)and other farmer groups and civil society organizations march to the Department of Agriculture (DA) to ask Philippine WTO negotiators to reject the July 10 text of the Doha round and not to sign to a new round of agreement. Agriculture has been a contentious issue since the Round started in 2001.

Bearing placards that say “No to Deal on AoA!,” the marchers included groups such as R1, TFFS, PNLC, PKKK, and AFA. They set up huge billboard at the gate of the DA containing a special order from peasants that the Philippine negotiators should (1) demand the reduction of subsidies of developed countries and (2) ask the WTO negotiators to go back to the original proposal of G33 and lobby for good SSM agreement. Otherwise, there should be no deal on AoA.

(Photo taken by Mr. Kang, Min Su.)

Click here to read the statement

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