Issued by: SA Communication Service
31 March 1998
DEREK HANEKOM, MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE & LAND AFFAIRS HANEKOM TO ATTEND CAIRNS GROUP MEETING IN AUSTRALIA, 1-3 APRIL
Agriculture and Land Affairs Minister, Derek Hanekom, leaves for Australia this evening to attend, as a full member, the meeting of the Cairns Group of Ministers.
South Africa was formally accepted into the Cairns Group, an association of agricultural exporting countries whose objective is to strive for far and free trade in global agricultural markets, in February this year.
The meeting, which runs from 1-3 April, in Sydney will prepare for the very important 1999 round the World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiations.
Minister Hanekom welcomed the opportunity for South Africa to participate as a full member of the Cairns Group, especially at this opportune moment in the WTO preparatory discussions: "We believe that Cairns is the vehicle that will help us achieve our objective of more liberalised agricultural trade, which will undoubtedly benefit South Africa, and the whole continent of Africa, which has been squeezed out of the trade environment by costly subsidies the continent cannot afford.
"We are determined to ensure that these WTO negotiations will see the removal of subsidies: a further reduction in domestic support measures in agriculture; and more commitment to the harmonisation of sanitary and psytho-sanitary measures to reduce the incidence of abuse. We would also like to see the negotiations resulting in substantial reduction in all tariffs and that a more efficient system of tariff quota administration be devised," the Minister said.
The Cairns Group currently consists of Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Fiji, Indonesia, Malasia, New Zealand, Paraguay, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand and Uruguay.
While in Sydney, Minister Hanekom will visit the Royal Agriculture Show, tour the 2000 Olympic Site, and meet with the National Farmers Federation
Minister Hanekom will also fly to Canberra to address the Australian Parliament and meet with the House of Representatives, Standing Committee on Primary Industries, Resource and Rural and Regional Affairs. Minister Hanekom will also meet with Mr Fischer, Deputy Prime Minister and Trade Minister, Mr Moore, Minister for Industry, Science and Technology and Mr Anderson, Minister for Primary Industries and Energy.
Minister Hanekom leaves Australia on 7 April to spend three days in New Zealand where he will meet with Dr Lockwood Smith. Minister of Agriculture, and Mr McKinnon, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Minister Hanekom will also meet with the Federated Farmers (ENZA), wool farmers and the apple and pear marketing board and he will visit a dairy farm factory and the Morton Estate Winery.
There will be a press conference at the airport on Friday 3 April when the delegation from the Department of Agriculture return from the Cairns Group Meeting. Details will be announced.
Enquiries: Erica Elk 021 45-7690 / 082 601-2346