More access will add to pressure on UK incomes

UK - Improved market access for agricultural goods under the World Trade Organisation will put extra pressure on British farmers' incomes, but will do little to make poverty history.

Outlining the likely impact of the ongoing Doha Development Round, NFU president Tim Bennett said there was little to gain from increased access to other countries' markets, since the UK exported relatively little outside the EU.

"On the other hand, increased access to our market is bound to put further pressure on our prices and, in some cases, lead to higher imports," he told the conference.

Beef, dairy and poultry could be dramatically affected. But opening EU markets would not be the panacea for alleviating poverty in Africa that some people suggested.

"There are several conspicuous flaws in this argument," said Mr Bennett.

For example, the EU already provided duty-free access to the world's poorest countries through the everything-but-arms agreement in 2001.

The EU now absorbed 70% of all imports from least-developed countries, compared with 17% to the US.

Source: FWi