LMC Wants You

UK - Apply now for the opportunity to see one of the world’s largest and busiest food shows. According to a Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC) bulletin, LMC is offering six beef/sheepmeat producers the opportunity to travel to the SIAL International Food show in Paris this October – enabling Northern Ireland producers to see at first hand the competition in the international red meat market.
calendar icon 28 July 2008
clock icon 3 minute read

David Rutledge LMC Chief Executive says, “This show provides Northern Ireland farmers with an ideal opportunity to see the competition worldwide for red meat and how the rest of the world promotes and exhibits the red meat industry. LMC levy payers play a central role in our industry here in Northern Ireland and a visit to this show provides vital two way communication between LMC and levy payers. For the last two years we have taken farmers to two large food shows and it certainly has proved to be an eye opener.”

Whilst at the show the each producer will be allocated a different export market to examine to gain a better understanding of the export trade for Northern Ireland beef and lamb and to determine what the prospects are for Northern Ireland red meat in that market. In return LMC requires each farmer to provide a short report to their local farmers’ group on their experience.

If, as a producer, you have a genuine interest in finding out more about export markets and would like to visit the SIAL International Food Show in Paris with LMC then please send your name and address to Maria McLaughlin, LMC Communications Manager, Lissue House, 31 Ballinderry Rd, Lisburn, BT28 2SL or email: [email protected] by Friday 15 August 2008.

Terms and conditions

  • You must be able to travel between the 19-21 October. Exact dates yet to be confirmed. This
  • All travel, accommodation and reasonable expenses will be covered by LMC.
  • One applicant will be chosen at random from each of the six counties to accommodate subsequent communication to as many farmer groups as possible.
  • Only applications from producers who have not accompanied LMC to similar events before will be considered
  • Valid passport and travel insurance are required.
  • Further information is available from Maria McLaughlin Tel: 028 9263 3016 or email [email protected]

WTO Update _ Ministerial Conference Underway

The WTO Ministerial Conference started on Monday (21 July) in Geneva in what are considered to be “make or break” talks for the Doha Round. At the start of the week the mood was optimistic, but by late on Thursday there were few signs that a deal was in the offing. Talks scheduled for Friday are critical for achieving a deal. Reaching a compromise between the three strands of the talks (Agriculture, Non-Agricultural Market Access (NAMA) and Services) remains the main stumbling block to an agreement. The agriculture part of the negotiations are almost complete, but progress on the other two strands remains stubbornly slow.

While the EU and the US have increased their offers on agricultural tariff reductions and domestic support respectively, leading developing nations, such as India and Brazil, claim that the current offers are insufficient for them to open up their markets to international competition for NAMA and Services. Unless a compromise can be achieved the chances of a successful end to the Doha round are slim. A number of commentators have expressed concerns that the political pressure to get a deal, regardless of its contents, could force a conclusion to the Doha negotiations. As a result the talks, which were scheduled to last until Saturday, are likely to continue into next week.

The issue of Geographical Indications, a deal breaker for the EU, could be sidestepped with widespread agreement to remove it from the Doha talks and include it in the existing agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). If this move is confirmed it will increase the chances of a successful Doha Round, because the US, Canada and others oppose the whole notion of Geographical Indications.

TheCattleSite News Desk

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