09/12/06 Insurance Deadline & Reviving Doha

Insurance deadline & reviving Doha. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report. With three weeks to go - producers across the country who grow fall planted crops are running out of time to sign up for federally subsidized crop insurance. October 2nd is also the deadline for making any changes to existing policies. The usual - and familiar - deadline for fall planted crops is September 30th - but with that date falling on a Saturday this year - the deadline is moved to the following Monday. Anyone who wants to sign up - or make any changes to an existing policy - should contact a crop insurance agent well before the October 2nd deadline. Since World Trade Organization Director General Pascal Lamy suspended the Doha Round of World Trade Organization talks in July - the U.S. has made its commitment to the round and reviving the negotiations clear. European Union Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson has also demonstrated a commitment to the round - agreeing to meet with the U.S., Japan and Brazil over the weekend - and making plans to meet with members of Congress in Washington. MANDELSON: We indicated that we would lift our average tariff cut close to that requested by the developing countries. I signaled in Geneva in July that we were willing to come within a couple of percentage points of their demand for a 51.5% average farm tariff cut. Now that is a very substantial move from our original offer of a 39% average farm tariff cut. So I tried to respond to the requests by partners like the U.S. but we've all got to show flexibility. This is not just about market access it's also about trade distorting farm subsidies and there the next move is for the United States to make. Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Susan Allen. When the anti-milk brigade began providing media outlets with their own so called "scientific" data (basically advocacy groups attempting to redefine science by linking milk to acne or fertility,) milk producers fought back with a new campaign that packs a marketing wallop. So tell me, will teens succumb to the drawl dronings of groups like Center for Science in the Public interest's while a hunk like David Beckam sports a new Got Milk mustache? The successful "Got Milk" mustache campaign continues using heavy hitting celebrities that appeal to tweens and teens. Beckam, Alex Rodriguez, Sasha Cohen and Carrie Underwood will be featured in Cosmo Girl, Seventeen, Electronic Gaming, Spin, Sports Illustrated and of course the ever popular My Space. According to the Beverage Marketing Corporation, milk consumption has been declining since 1975 probably due to the popularity of bottle water and sports beverages. Given the fact the teen years are critical for establishing health habits, milk processors couldn't ask for a better timed or executed marketing campaign. Thanks Susan. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.