CANADA SEEKS FIVE YEAR FARM REFORM PLAN
  Canada will propose at the new round of
  international trade talks that most trade-distorting farm
  subsidies be phased out over a five year period, Trade Minister
  Pat Carney said.
      "Agricultural subsidies and trade barriers have created a
  vicious circle which continues to cause problems of
  overproduction and low commodity prices," Carney told the House
  of Commons.
      Carney was outlining the government's new position on the
  farm trade problem that was tabled on Tuesday in Geneva in the
  multilateral talks under the GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs
  and Trade).
      While few details were released, Carney said the government
  would also be pressing for an improvement in market access and
  new measures to ensure countries do not erect artificial
  barriers.
      "Under the Canadian proposal, all countries would have to
  ensure that domestic policies and programs to address the
  specific needs of their farm sectors do not distort trade," a
  government background paper said.
      "Furthermore, in assessing the trade impact of programs,
  credit could be given to countries which effectively control
  the output of farm products," the papers said.