Brazzil

This is one very rare case where good pressure from Brazil is being exerted. A socialist government pressuring the US to remove socialist farm subsidies: Pass me the smelling salts! I just wonder how this big agricultural dream squares with letting the Movimento Sem Terra run amock.

Socialist subsides you would expect from the EU, in fact, Brasil and the EU can't get past first base because of them. Same with the US, I wonder why a "conservative" free trader like Bush would continue to sign legislation that guarentees American farmers large profits for ineffecency. Brasil on the other hand has not stood still waiting, their large trading partners are in the East now, including Saudi Arabia and other "friendly" Arab countries, in fact Saudi Arabi is Brasil's largest customer for chicken and dairy products is Saudi Arabia...good for Brasil. With good roads and modern ports, Brasil will be come an agricultural powerhouse. The MST will be just a bump in the road.

I know I am going to get hammered here, but agriculture is driving Brasil's exports, and exports are driving the improvement in the economy. As the writer points out, this expertise and efficency did not happen over night but over 15 years. Now, how long has Lula been President? This proves once again that Lula is riding the coat tails of his predesessor, Cardosa, and his team. It is also a fact, that Lula, in his leftest approach to land reform has a real good chance of screwing up 15 years of hard work by Brasilain scientists and farmers. We have to defeat this idiot in the next election, we are finally on the verge.

You are placing politics where doesn't fit. Brasil invested heavily in agricultural technonology (Embrapa), including satellite image processing technologies and bio-chemical research, from the late 60s.

That investement is now paying off by diversification. Lula is not taking credit for that, just like he is not taking credit for Brasilian nuclear, aviation, heavy equipment, etc etc etc.

These systems being in place for sometime now, and you are witnessing the outcome.....Pure and simple!

As the article stated what hampers brazil even in its ultracompetitive agriculture are taxes and and government inefiency ( this is redundant). Which just goes to prove that what really tears the farm owner and the farm hand apart in this nation is not unequal wealth but a government who hinders the creation of wealth while the pathetic MST goes along for the ride receiving state funds to set up their operation and european union funds to set up their new university which will defend farm subsidies as a concept. Hence an enemy base against the brazilian farmer IN BRAZIL.
Do not be surprised when this joke of an university grants an euro-idiot like jose bove and doctor honoris causis. I sugest the MSU ( movimento dos sem universidade) invades this MST university so those thieves finally get a taste of their own medicine.

Lula is taking complete credit for the improvement in the economy, as well as in the increase in exports. A result of maintaining the economic polices of the past. He is benefiting from the hard work, and savy of others, similar to President Clinton benefiting from a recovering economy when he took office. The problem is his administartion does not have the skills to really drive this growth to next level. As the author states, and the poster points out. High taxes, and the worlds highest interest rates can put a halt to this growth. The MST is a minor agrivation that will be a footnote after Lula's defeat.

With Hugo Chavez as his advisor, Lula is guaranteed re-election whether Brazilian voters want it or not!

Of course Lula is going to continue to do what is necessary for the growth of Brazil's agriculture. So will the oppsition, if elected. So would any president. the difference between different candidates today in on how to spend the national budget in the benefit of the people. Incresing exports while keeping people deprived of food and education at home does not help. How can we achieve such modernised agriculture but not have a toilet in every school?! I still think Lula is the best for Brazil, he is not ruining what has been achieved, and has already proved this not to be his intention. He is widening Brazil's trade throught several bilateral agreement, while our previous president only looked at Europe and the US. Plus, he is still the best hope for social reforms. He is probably the only person who looks both to the MST and to agrobusiness. And they are not opposite. Brazil is huge and has space both for family agriculre and big business stuff as well.

Of course Lula is going to continue to do what is necessary for the growth of Brazil's agriculture. So will the oppsition, if elected. So would any president. the difference between different candidates today in on how to spend the national budget in the benefit of the people. Incresing exports while keeping people deprived of food and education at home does not help. How can we achieve such modernised agriculture but not have a toilet in every school?! I still think Lula is the best for Brazil, he is not ruining what has been achieved, and has already proved this not to be his intention. He is widening Brazil's trade throught several bilateral agreement, while our previous president only looked at Europe and the US. Plus, he is still the best hope for social reforms. He is probably the only person who looks both to the MST and to agrobusiness. And they are not opposite. Brazil is huge and has space both for family agriculre and big business stuff as well.

I just finished listening to an interview with Franz Fischler, the European Union's Agriculture Commissioner at the World Trade Organisation
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/pro...536129.stm

Here is a quote from him M.R Fischler
"We reduced really drastically our export subsidies. We went down from 25% to 9% and we will reduce it further. We offered the possibility that we are prepared to phase out altogether export subsidies for those products which are the interest of developing countries."

He is saying that they reduced the amount of EXPORT subsidies ( not subsidies in general) from 25% to 9% of their TOTAL BUDGET. I don´t think this means anything. The real question is if these subsidies as distorting trade regardless of the reduction.

Further on Mr Fischler goes on to say that a new system must be established where "poor" countries will be benefited. He says that " competitive" countries like Brazil and Australia should not be allowed to get the share of the market that their competitiveness would allow them.

Basically the european union wants to judge on who should benefit regardless of who is better. This is a disaster not to mention that a closer look at such " lovely intentions" reveal that regardless of how competitive you are WE ( the european union) will decide who the market share goes to according to our views and our interests. This is bogus. I think there should be no subsidies and if the consumer wants to benefit a certain country or region he should pay the price for their products according to market value and the government should not make all the consumers pay a certain price to benefit the country or region that THEY selected. In other words Brazil who would be able to stretch its competitive muscle is not allowed to do so because african countries are in worse conditions than brazil.
Lets look at this from a diferent angle. Brazil is in a worse condition than europe and the united states so lets give preferential treatment to brazilian airplane manufacturer embraer over canadian bombardier and Airbus and Boeing when it comes to aircraft purchases. This would be unaceptable to both americans and eurpeans but the eurpeans think it is their right to make the same decision concerning agricultural goods.
I think this will drag down for a long time because the tipping point towards a rational agreement were the americans and they decided to increase their subsidies instead of taking the traditional free market path that most republican administrations have taken during history.
By the way, remeber that shrimp fallacy link i sent a few months ago. It was under judgement back then but now the american shrimp farmers have won and brazilian shrimp will suffer a larger tarrif.
It is incredible.

what ever in the world do you mean