Sunday, April 16 2006 11:04 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The crucial April 30 deadline for working out modalities on key farm subsidies phase out and industrial tariffs in the WTO talks will in all probability be missed with sharp differences persisting between developed and developing countries.

It was more or less clear now that the deadline set at Hong Kong Ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organisation for finalisation of full modalities would be missed, trade sources told sources

They said senior officials of 149 WTO members were scheduled to meet for four days on April 25 for discussions and only if the deadlock showed signs of melting, would a Ministerial level meeting be convened.

Sources, however, said the number of issues was too large for the officials to thrash out in four days.

WTO Director General Pascal Lamy, who visited India and Brazil earlier this month is currently meeting with the trade body's African members with US Trade Representative Rob Portman, to push the talks.

In India, he had made it clear that there were 20-25 issues on the table in the trade talks which were to be clinched by this year end but the farm and industrial tariffs were two crucial issues without which it would be difficult to arrive at a consensus for completion of Doha round of talks.

"Negotiations have approached the last spasm as in any other talks and it is important that all 150 member countries work towards a collective discipline by successfully completing the current Doha Round of trade talks," he had said.

India and other developing countries have been insisting on resolving the agriculture issue first. But advanced nations want developing countries to commit to a greater reduction in industrial tariffs for any concession on agriculture.