USDA Undersecretary Ted McKinney told Todd Gleason of the University of Illinois that there have been deputy level talks via video conference that have been ongoing.
McKinney puts odds at “better than 50%” that there will be a signed agreement. “The warming trend continues,” he noted. However, in his remarks at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting, he said, “Maybe we can get to an eventual signing of a phase one agreement. There were a lot of negotiations going on and then they withdrew, backslid on a number of things.”
But things are in “a warming trend,” he observed. “We’ve got a number of things lined to sell if they agree to it,” McKinney said. “But we also have to have some structural changes. We have been led down this path before only to see promises fizzle.”
As for the deal, McKinney said, “So unless there is some enforcement opportunity, and unless there are some changes, even modest changes, in structural… how they apply things like please approve biotech traits at a time sooner than eight years, those kinds of things are very, very important and must haves. So we will see, but I am very optimistic.”
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