Japan farmers oppose proposal by head of WTO farm committee

TOKYO, July 17 Kyodo - The Central Union of Agricultural Unions, the umbrella body of Japanese agricultural cooperatives, adopted a resolution on Wednesday opposing a proposal by the chairman of farm trade liberalization negotiations under the World Trade Organization.

Endorsed at a meeting in Tokyo of some 1,000 representatives from member unions
across Japan, the resolution denounces the proposal as calling for ''limitless
liberalization'' of agricultural trade ''against the backdrop of food
exporters' forceful demand'' and ''at the expense of food importers such as
Japan.''

Isami Miyata, president of the union, known as JA Zenchu, told the gathering
that Japan should not accept a ''bad agreement.''

Under the proposal presented by Crawford Falconer, the chairman of the WTO
Committee on Agriculture, ahead of an unofficial ministerial meeting on the
Doha Round of multilateral talks later this month, the number of ''sensitive''
farm products which developed countries want to protect with high tariffs
totals 4 to 6 percent of all farm produce subject to tariffs.

The proposed 4 to 6 percent limit would force Japan and others to substantially
cut import tariffs on many politically sensitive products, such as rice, wheat
and dairy products.
Japan has proposed the protected products percentage be more than 10 percent.
==Kyodo