July 8, 2006	Saturday	Jumadi-ul-Sani 11, 1427

LAHORE, July 7: Federal Minister for Food, Agriculture and Livestock (Minfal) Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan on Friday said that the reduction in farm subsidies by the developed countries is expected to benefit Pakistani farmers through higher and more stable global commodity prices.

He was addressing the inaugural session of a two-day seminar on “Agriculture negotiations: Challenges and opportunities for Pakistan” organised by the Paris-based International Trade Centre (ITC) here on Friday.

Speakers included Secretary Agriculture Punjab, Fayyaz Bashir, head of EC delegation Michael Dale, in-charge Business Advisory Services section ITC, Bruce Shepherd and professor of Agricultural Economics, Pennsylvania State University Dr David Blandford.

The minister said that the increase in global prices of agriculture commodities would help reduce poverty in rural areas. He observed that Pakistan realised that as part of the WTO negotiations, market access must also be improved in the developing countries to accelerate the growing South-South trade.

He said Pakistan was ready to take advantage of the reduction in support and protection to farm products in other countries as the outcome of the Doha round.

“We have already made difficult internal adjustments on market access. Pakistan has lowered its applied tariffs on most agriculture and food products to the range of 0 to 25 per cent and are thus ready to benefit from the situation,” he observed.

The minister said that Pakistan had worked to ensure that no WTO agreement would restrict Pakistan's participation in introducing new policies and programmes for the agriculture sector.

“A new agreement will not limit the introduction of any green or non-trade distorting programmes for the agriculture and food sector in Pakistan,” he clarified.

He said that Pakistan's agriculture exports would benefit from improved market access as it was pursuing its interests without compromising on other pillars of negotiations. —APP