By Henry Umoru
THE Federal government warned yesterday that if all outstanding issues relating to agriculture with regard to the Doha Development Round agenda must be completed before the end of 2010, developed trading partners must be prepared to shift grounds.

The Federal government which however noted the  importance of the ongoing agriculture negotiations in the Doha Development agenda to Nigeria , expressed concern over the slow pace of negotiations, just as it stressed that lack of a deal in agriculture has become  matter of concern to the country considering the importance of agriculture to the nation’s economy.

Speaking yesterday in Abuja at the World Trade Organization (WTO) National Workshop on Agreements on Agriculture, Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS), and Technical barriers to trade (TBT), Minister of Commerce and Industry, Senator Jubril Martins_Kuye, who urged the develop partners to shift ground on some issues to ensure the success of the development agenda this year, said, “efforts should be made by our developed trading partners to shift ground in outstanding issues on agriculture so that the Doha Development Round can be concluded before the end of 2010 as anticipated by WTO members.

It would be recalled that the Doha Round Table negotiation is designed to enable for one market as well as make trading one global village.  The negotiation picked up recently after being stalled for some years. The Nigeria office in Geneva has negotiators on this issue who are presently negotiating for the country.

The Doha negotiation is expected to come to an end by 2010. Issues relating to agriculture, market assets are on the table, the major issue is to agree on agriculture and non agriculture market assets, and how it will favour Nigeria.

Represented by the Acting Director of Trade, David Adejuwon, the Minister who also expressed hope that measures that have affected agricultural trade would be minimized if not totally eliminated at the conclusion of the Doha Round, stressed that Agriculture employs about 70 per cent of the work force in Nigeria and that is why there is strong emphasis on its development with the aim of promoting a commercialized, efficient, competitive and agricultural sector.
According to him, “it is in the light of this that we do hope that at the conclusion of the Doha Round, measures that have distorting effect on agricultural trade will be minimized if not eliminated totally.”

The Minister who noted that Nigeria was ready to comply with the standards set on the products as the country belongs to some international standards setting organizations such as Codex Alimentarius Commission, office international des Epizootics (OIE), warned, “in as much as countries are allowed to set their own standards, it is imperative to ensure that these standards are not being used as a protectionist tool. As tariffs disappear there are increasing worries about non tariff barriers to trade through arbitrary application of SPS and TBT”

In his contribution, the WTO resource person, Robsin Fernadez, noted that the compliance of Nigeria with the standard and ensuring success of the Doha Development Round would enable the country reap the benefits of its enormous agriculture resources.