The National Farmers Union (NFU) says agriculture faces a challenging future after landmark world trade talks took place in the Middle East this week.

Although bosses at the union say the World Trade Organisation coming-together is good news for the UK and world economies, they have expressed concerns for the future of farming in the wake of the meeting.

Leaders from nations across the globe came together to decide on the liberalisation of world trade in Doha, Qatar on November 14.

But the laissez-faire economic policies spouted by the world's leading politicians mean subsidies are under threat.

NFU policy director Martin Haworth said: 'There will undoubtably be many challenges and difficulties ahead for agriculture under this fresh WTO round.

'But it is important to remember that this is just the start of the talks – it will be the result that matters. Talk about the death of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is premature but great changes already happening with reform in some areas more advanced that in others. For this reason, EU will need to ensure there is some flexibility.' Long-term talks are likely to conclude in 2005, and the NFU expects the first reforms of the CAP to come into force in either that or the following year.

Meanwhile, Haworth added that it was good for the UK that issues such as food safety, animal welfare, the environment and labelling were also brought up in the early talks.

'There was a lot of hostility to this in other parts of the world,' he said. 'And the EU will have to lobby hard to get a result.'

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