The change in trade that Aussie farmers have waited 30yrs for

Commerce & Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that India was continuously engaged with other countries on all issues at the ministerial, but was disappointed that there is little focus on issues of its interest such as the special safeguard mechanism (SSM) for poor farmers and a permanent solution on public stockholding.

After four days of talks, the ministerial conference in Nairobi, Kenya, has reached deals on agricultural export subsidies, food aid and other issues.

Roberto Azevedo, director-general of the WTO, said that the elimination of the export subsidies was the WTO’s “most significant” outcome on agriculture.

The WTO’s declaration at the end of the Nairobi meeting said members remained committed to completing the Doha negotiations.

Despite leaders’ gushing praise for the decision on farm export subsidies, the meeting still failed to make much progress on the long-stalled Doha negotiations. “For years the use – or even the threat – of export subsidies have resulted in world dairy prices below their true level, reducing returns to dairy farmers”, said Fonterra Chairman John Wilson. The minister also sought to silence the perceived propaganda about India hurting Africa’s interest saying that New Delhi shared a common stance on continuing with the Doha Round, ensuring a level playing field for the cotton-dependent countries in continent and had gone ahead and implemented a package for least developed countries when several large countries were unwilling.

China agreed to support the African countries, which form the bulk of the 34 LDCs to hold a series of Roundtable discussions on major issues, among them, the future of the multilateral trading system.

“Nevertheless, there remains a strong commitment of all Members to advance negotiations on the remaining Doha issues”, the draft said. We’ve waited more than 50 years for unfair subsidies on agricultural products to be removed from around the world. While developed members will start cutting subsidies immediately, developing countries like including India, which are expected to be hit harder, shall have to start by the end of 2018.

According to sources, while India is battling to save the Doha round, the U.S. appears to be adamant on burying the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) on farm subsidies at the Nairobi ministerial.

Trade ministers from 162 WTO countries had gathered in Kenya’s capital from December 15-18 and an extended 24 hours to work on an agreement to liberalise global trade and give a push to the Doha round of trade talks stuck since 2001.