Well, the show is over so it’s back to some good old fashioned dairy industry news. Actually I’ll still be posting some items about this year’s World Dairy Expo. For one thing I’m putting together an online photo album which I’ll post a link to within the next few days. So we’ll definitely have some more Expo news for you.

In the meantime, the International Dairy Foods Association decided to comment publicly on the current remarks our U.S. Trade Representative made about the upcoming world trade talks.

The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) commended U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Portman’s offer to cut trade-distorting domestic farm subsidies by 60%, substantially reduce tariffs and eliminate export subsidies — all within a five-year period — in a proposal designed to reignite the World Trade Organization (WTO) Doha Round negotiations.

Earlier the same day in Zurich, Switzerland, Portman outlined his offer to trade and agriculture ministers from WTO member nations during a meeting that was called by the United States to discuss how to overcome problems that have stalled the Doha talks on agriculture. Farm subsidies are widely considered to be a major hurdle in obtaining a Doha Round agreement.