12/10/2008

Time Running Out on Doha & Four-Letter Weekend Weather plus Food Forethought. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report. WTO leaders have issued revised drafts for farm and non-farm trade talks. The revised draft "modalities", written by agriculture negotiations chairperson Ambassador Crawford Falconer and non-agricultural market access chairperson Luzius Wasescha, are the outcome of the latest discussions in negotiation groups. The latest drafts try to capture agreement reached tentatively on some subjects since a group of ministers came to Geneva last July. But time may be running out. Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer says that if a world trade agreement is not reached in the next few weeks, the process could be delayed for many months. SCHAFER: If we don't get through this window it's going to be months and months and months before this gets back on the radar screen with the new administration and rightly so. So if we want to get it done, we have to get it done now. Parts of Oregon and Washington may very well see snow this weekend as a cold front is expected to drop snow in the Olympics and the Cascades. Rain will be changing to snow on Saturday and Eastern Washington could see single digit temperatures. Might be a good time to schedule that trip to Hawaii. Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Lacy Gray. What happens when you play too fast and loose with your finances and you run out of cash? Generally, you lose; you lose your car, your big boy toys and sometimes your home. When our nation's business owners, farmers, ranchers and the American worker fall upon hard economic times who's there to bale them out? Normally it won't be Uncle Sam; that is unless you're a Detroit automaker. Congress is getting ready to salvage the auto industry with a bailout that will figure in the billions. And while most Americans understand the reasons behind the government bailout of the auto industry, it still makes it a bitter pill to swallow. The proposed legislation is calling for a presidential appointee, or "car czar" to oversee the three big US automakers who have failed to keep pace with their overseas rivals. Improving the fuel efficiency of their fleet and curtailing excessive executive compensation will have top most priority. Obama states that he wants to hold the companies "feet to the fire". Good thing for them my aunt isn't president elect; she always says, "you burn your bum, you sit on the blister". Thanks Lacy. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.