US embassy cable - 03ACCRA585

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ACCRA 000585 
 
SIPDIS 
 
USDA PLEASE PASS FAS/ITP PSHEIKH AND EPURDY 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR, GH, WTO, AGRICULTURE 
SUBJECT: AGRICULTURE REPS BRING MESSAGE TO GHANAIANS: SPEAK 
UP 
 
 
1. Summary: USDA representatives met with numerous Ghanaian 
officials to seek support for the US position on food aid and 
market access in the WTO Agricultural Negotiations, to 
highlight US efforts in Sub-Saharan Africa and to confirm 
invites to the Ministerial Conference and Expo on 
Agricultural Science and Technology. With the March 31 
deadline for modalities on the agriculture agreement, USG 
officials urged the Ghanaians to move on these issues before 
time runs out. End Summary. 
 
2. Patricia Sheikh, Deputy Administrator of International 
Trade Policy at the USDA, Emiko Purdy and Joseph Lopez, 
International Trade Policy economists and Jamie Rothschild, 
the Regional Foreign Agricultural Service Officer, held 
bilateral discussions with GoG officials in Accra on March 
17. The session was opened by Deputy Minister of Agriculture 
Dr. M.K. Antwi, who stated that Ghana needed to be allowed 
further access to outside markets. 
 
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WTO Negotiations 
---------------- 
 
3. Sheikh, Purdy and Lopez were focused on delivering the USG 
message on current WTO Agricultural Negotiations, 
specifically, concerning the strengthening of the modalities 
proposed by Stuart Harbinson, the chair of the agricultural 
negotiations. Ghana has not stated its position on food aid. 
Patricia Sheikh suggested that as a recipient of food aid, 
Ghana should use its influence in the Africa group to support 
the US suggestion that non-governmental organizations and 
legitimate government-to-government food aid be allowed to 
continue. Essentially, if Ghana derives some benefit from 
food aid, its WTO representative should speak up in support 
of food aid. Sheikh carefully pointed out that the US 
supports preventing food aid from displacing commercial sales 
and disrupting local production. However, the experts in Rome 
at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United 
Nations are those best equipped to determine whether and what 
kind of food aid is market-distorting, not the WTO. Ghanaian 
officials appeared seized by the idea and promised to 
carefully consider the US position on the issue. 
 
4. Harmonization is key to the US position on domestic 
support and market access and the Harbinson text is not 
ambitious enough. Too much trade distorting domestic support 
is allowed for many countries (i.e. the EU) and the tariff 
reduction formula does not address the high protection levels 
of tariffs. Domestic supports reduction should be reworked to 
address the serious disparity between the EU and the rest of 
the world. Regarding tariff rediction, USDA officials 
supported the Swiss formula for cutting tariffs which would 
bring tariffs down to no more than 25 percent. The Ghanaians, 
while agreeing with the need to reduce domestic supports that 
rich countries give their farmers, quickly pointed out 
tariffs are the only option they have to protect their 
domestic farm industry. US negotiators then pointed out that 
the bottom line on the two issues is--for the US to give up 
something, other countries must do their share and give up 
something too. The EU must be able to move on the domestic 
support issue. Poor countries should be able to move on the 
tariff issue. Otherwise, negotiations will not go forward. 
Ghanaian officials said they would rely on their Geneva 
colleagues (one of whom was present) to provide further 
guidance on the two issues. 
 
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US Assistance 
------------- 
 
5. In response to the need expressed by the Ghanaian 
contingent for assistance in improving sanitary and 
phyto-sanitary regulations, Purdy pointed to the nine 
regional training and information seminars that the USDA had 
conducted in sub-Saharan Africa over the past two years. She 
also told Ghanaian officials that an Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service (APHIS) agent being assigned to Accra. The 
agent will be a part of the West African Trade Hub and will 
assist with technical assessment of agricultural products 
destined to the US. USDA cautioned that the due diligence on 
marketing will not be done by the APHIS agent. That, Sheikh 
said, is up to the Ghanaians. Assessing their own 
competitiveness on a given product should be carefully 
considered when developing agricultural exports for the US 
market. 
 
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Ministerial Conference 
---------------------- 
 
6. US Agriculture officials also clarified the schedule of 
activities and logistics for the upcoming Ministerial 
Conference and Expo on Agricultural Science and Technology to 
be held in Sacramento June 23-25 and hosted by Agriculture 
Secretary Ann Veneman. Ghanaian officials wanted further 
 
SIPDIS 
details on the schedule of events in order to determine which 
Ministers would derive the most benefit in attending. They 
promised to inform the Embassy who will attend before the May 
registration deadline. 
YATES