GENEVA, Feb 15: Developing countries on Friday welcomed WTO proposals to reduce barriers to farm trade but voiced reservations on those calling for a further opening of their own markets for industrial goods.

The draft agreement on agriculture presented by the WTO a week ago “is a good basis for further work,” said Brazilian ambassador Clodoaldo Hugueney, speaking for the Group of 20 emerging market nations.

“These positions offer the best prospects for a balanced and reasonable outcome for the Doha Development Agenda.”

The Doha round of multilateral trade liberalisation talks was launched in the Qatari capital Doha in November 2001 but has foundered ever since in disputes between developing and industrialised nations.

Developing countries have been pressing for greater access to agricultural markets in the industrialised world. Developed nations are in return seeking a better deal for their manufactured products on developing country markets.

Hugueney hailed the WTO’s inclusion in its proposal of an average minimum reduction of 54pc in customs duties levelled on developing country agricultural exports by industrialised nations.

The G20, which besides Brazil includes such emerging market powerhouses as China and India, had put forward the same proposal.

But the G20 was less enthusiastic about the WTO draft on manufactured goods, which “largely ignored its proposals,” Hugueney told AFP.