AGRICULTURE REPS BRING MESSAGE TO GHANAIANS: SPEAK

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ACCRA 000585

SIPDIS

USDA PLEASE PASS FAS/ITP PSHEIKH AND EPURDY

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR GH WTO AGRICULTURE
SUBJECT: AGRICULTURE REPS BRING MESSAGE TO GHANAIANS: SPEAK
UP



1. Summary: USDA representatives met with numerous Ghanaian
officials to seek support for the US position on food aid and
market access in the WTO Agricultural Negotiations, to
highlight US efforts in Sub-Saharan Africa and to confirm
invites to the Ministerial Conference and Expo on
Agricultural Science and Technology. With the March 31
deadline for modalities on the agriculture agreement, USG
officials urged the Ghanaians to move on these issues before
time runs out. End Summary.


2. Patricia Sheikh, Deputy Administrator of International
Trade Policy at the USDA, Emiko Purdy and Joseph Lopez,
International Trade Policy economists and Jamie Rothschild,
the Regional Foreign Agricultural Service Officer, held
bilateral discussions with GoG officials in Accra on March

17. The session was opened by Deputy Minister of Agriculture
Dr. M.K. Antwi, who stated that Ghana needed to be allowed
further access to outside markets.

--------------
WTO Negotiations
--------------


3. Sheikh, Purdy and Lopez were focused on delivering the USG
message on current WTO Agricultural Negotiations,
specifically, concerning the strengthening of the modalities
proposed by Stuart Harbinson, the chair of the agricultural
negotiations. Ghana has not stated its position on food aid.
Patricia Sheikh suggested that as a recipient of food aid,
Ghana should use its influence in the Africa group to support
the US suggestion that non-governmental organizations and
legitimate government-to-government food aid be allowed to
continue. Essentially, if Ghana derives some benefit from
food aid, its WTO representative should speak up in support
of food aid. Sheikh carefully pointed out that the US
supports preventing food aid from displacing commercial sales
and disrupting local production. However, the experts in Rome
at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations are those best equipped to determine whether and what
kind of food aid is market-distorting, not the WTO. Ghanaian
officials appeared seized by the idea and promised to
carefully consider the US position on the issue.


4. Harmonization is key to the US position on domestic
support and market access and the Harbinson text is not
ambitious enough. Too much trade distorting domestic support
is allowed for many countries (i.e. the EU) and the tariff
reduction formula does not address the high protection levels
of tariffs. Domestic supports reduction should be reworked to
address the serious disparity between the EU and the rest of
the world. Regarding tariff rediction, USDA officials
supported the Swiss formula for cutting tariffs which would
bring tariffs down to no more than 25 percent. The Ghanaians,
while agreeing with the need to reduce domestic supports that
rich countries give their farmers, quickly pointed out
tariffs are the only option they have to protect their
domestic farm industry. US negotiators then pointed out that
the bottom line on the two issues is--for the US to give up
something, other countries must do their share and give up
something too. The EU must be able to move on the domestic
support issue. Poor countries should be able to move on the
tariff issue. Otherwise, negotiations will not go forward.
Ghanaian officials said they would rely on their Geneva
colleagues (one of whom was present) to provide further
guidance on the two issues.

--------------
US Assistance
--------------


5. In response to the need expressed by the Ghanaian
contingent for assistance in improving sanitary and
phyto-sanitary regulations, Purdy pointed to the nine
regional training and information seminars that the USDA had
conducted in sub-Saharan Africa over the past two years. She
also told Ghanaian officials that an Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS) agent being assigned to Accra. The
agent will be a part of the West African Trade Hub and will
assist with technical assessment of agricultural products
destined to the US. USDA cautioned that the due diligence on
marketing will not be done by the APHIS agent. That, Sheikh
said, is up to the Ghanaians. Assessing their own
competitiveness on a given product should be carefully
considered when developing agricultural exports for the US
market.

--------------
Ministerial Conference
--------------


6. US Agriculture officials also clarified the schedule of
activities and logistics for the upcoming Ministerial
Conference and Expo on Agricultural Science and Technology to
be held in Sacramento June 23-25 and hosted by Agriculture
Secretary Ann Veneman. Ghanaian officials wanted further

SIPDIS
details on the schedule of events in order to determine which
Ministers would derive the most benefit in attending. They
promised to inform the Embassy who will attend before the May
registration deadline.
YATES