CCP:BA/TF 05/1  |
| CCP:BA/TF 05/1 |
COMMITTEE ON COMMODITY PROBLEMS |
INTERGOVERNMENTAL GROUP ON BANANAS |
Fourth Session |
Guayaquil, Ecuador, 19-23 September 2005 |
PROVISIONAL AGENDA AND AGENDA NOTES |
A. election of chairperson and vice-chairpersons
B. adoption of provisional agenda of the intergovernmental group on bananas and
tropical fruits
II. FOURTH SESSION OF THE SUB-GROUP ON BANANAS
A. election of chairperson and vice-chairpersons OF THE SUB-GROUP ON BANANAS
B. adoption of provisional agenda of the sub-group on bananas
(i) Current market situation and short-term outlook
(iv) Application of price-gap analysis to the EC banana market
III. FIFTH SESSION OF THE SUB-GROUP ON TROPICAL FRUITS
A. election of chairperson and vice-chairpersons OF THE SUB-GROUP ON TROPICAL FRUITS
B. adoption of the provisional agenda of the sub-group on tropical fruits
C. economic and MARKET DEVELOPMENT issues
(i) Current market situation and medium-term outlook
(ii) Market profiles of India and selected country(ies) in the Near East
(iii) Value chain analysis: a case study of mangoes in Kenya
D. intergovernmental action on tropical fruits
(i) Report on Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) activities related to tropical fruits
(ii) Report on the activities of the Tropical Fruits Network (TFNet)
E. adoption of the report of the sub-group on tropical fruits
IV. CONTINUATION OF THE FOURTH SESSION OF THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL GROUP ON BANANAS AND TROPICAL FRUITS
1. The Fourth Session of the Intergovernmental Group on Bananas and Tropical Fruits will open at Guayaquil, Ecuador, on Monday, 19 September 2005 at 09.00 hours. The Group is expected to adopt its report on Friday, 23 September 2005. During the Session, the Sub-Group on Bananas and the Sub-Group on Tropical Fruits will hold separate meetings (please see Provisional Timetable given in the Annex).
2. The Session will elect a Chairperson and two Vice-Chairpersons of the Intergovernmental Group on Bananas and Tropical Fruits.
3. The Sub-Group will elect a Chairperson and two Vice-Chairpersons.
4. As one of its major functions, the Sub-Group monitors all aspects of the world banana economy, and undertakes a comprehensive analysis of supply, demand, price and cost developments. The review is divided into the following four major sub-items:
5. The Sub-Group will have the opportunity to evaluate conditions in the global banana economy in 2003 and 2004 and the prospects for 2005, with the assistance of document CCP:BA/TF CRS 1 reviewing the situation of the international banana market and document CCP:BA/TF 05/2 providing the latest data available to the Secretariat. Members are requested to provide information regarding banana market developments in their countries.
6. At its previous session the Sub-Group approved the Secretariat’s proposals to improve the collection of statistics. The Secretariat has prepared a summary document that describes how it has implemented these measures so far (CCP:BA/TF 05/3).
7. As requested by the Sub-Group at its previous session, the Secretariat has produced a new econometric model to simulate the transition to a tariff-only import system in the EC. In accordance with the request of delegates, this new model has been made available to the public and comments were solicited from all interested parties. The Secretariat has reviewed the comments received, made them public and incorporated those that it deemed relevant into the model. Document CCP:BA/TF 05/4 presents the revised model, its architecture, assumptions, limitations and a summary of the most relevant comments received.
8. Following the requests of delegates at the previous session of the Sub-Group, the Secretariat has undertaken a study on the application of the price-gap analysis methodology to the current EC import system. Various approaches are presented in document CCP:BA/TF 05/5. As the document shows, the results vary substantially according to a series of assumptions. The Secretariat solicits comments from the delegates.
9. The Sub-Group provides a forum for the review of production and trade policies affecting the world banana economy. A document is presented to delegates in which two issues are explored: the accession of new EC members and the shift to a tariff-only regime in the EC in 2006 (CCP:BA/TF 05/6). The Secretariat will table information on the tariffs applied on banana imports by a number of countries at the session (CCP:BA/TF 05/CRS 2).
10. A report will be made available to the Sub-Group on projects currently underway and new project proposals for submission to the CFC since the last session (CCP:BA/TF 05/7).
11. The Sub-Group will elect a Chairperson and two Vice-Chairpersons.
12. Document CCP:BA/TF 05/8 provides an assessment of the current market situation and medium term projections to 2014 for tropical fruits. A companion statistical compendium on production, imports, exports, consumption and prices will be tabled at the Session as CCP:BA/TF 05/CRS 3. Delegates are invited to review the assessment and provide appropriate updates on developments concerning tropical fruits in their country. In addition, the Sub-Group is requested to review the continuing difficulty in data collection and the problem this poses for in-depth analysis of this commodity grouping.
13. As part of its regular review of market prospects for topical fruits, the Sub-Group requested at its Fourth Session that the Secretariat provide market profiles for India and the Near East. The resources available will determine the extent of the coverage and market selection. The market profiles will be presented in document CCP:BA/TF 05/9.
14. At its last session, the Sub-Group requested that a review of the situation of small holders and traders along the mango value chain in Kenya and/or other developing countries, incorporating food security concerns and potential for expanding domestic consumption be undertaken. Given the budgetary constraints, only the case study of the mango value chain in Kenya was carried out. Document CCP:BA/TF 05/10 reviews the situation of small holders and traders along the tropical fruits value chains in Kenya, with special reference to mango production, processing and trade. It will incorporate insights on the food security aspects, by considering both consumers’ welfare, and the welfare of the stakeholders along the production chain, with reference to tropical fruits in general, and to mango in particular. The potentials for and the limiting factor to expanding domestic consumption and exports of tropical fruits in general, and of mango in particular will also be taken into account.
15. Following the request by the Sub-Group at its last session, document CCP:BA/TF 05/11 has been prepared by the Secretariat to analyse the main features of transactions as they were recorded in the two major markets for avocado, namely the European Community and the United States. The effects of the product's characteristics, the origin and destination, and of the trading season have been studied using the hedonic price approach, aimed at understanding which among those features affect more directly the price received in those two markets. This will yield indications on the potential for expanding trade in new avocado varieties.
16. Considering that tropical fruit prices had generally been on a downward trend as supplies expanded, and supply chain management optimized, the Sub-Group requested that the impact of post-harvest losses be examined. As an initial step, document CCP:BA/TF 05/12 has been prepared to outline the various issues in post-harvest handling of tropical fruits that impact on the growers’ economic returns. The Sub-Group is requested to clearly define areas, in order of priority, that would constitute the next steps, i.e. surveys that would provide the necessary information to measure, in particular the economic impact of post-harvest handling losses of tropical fruits, and their implications on trade and food security.
17. A status report of project proposals which have been submitted to the CFC for funding consideration will be presented to the Sub-Group. In addition, new project proposals will be considered by the Sub-Group for submission to the Fund.
18. The Provisional Management Committee (PMC) of TFNet will be meeting in July 2005 to appoint a new Chief Executive Officer of TFNet and adopt revisions to the constitution of the network to allow greater private sector participation. A report of these and other developments in TFNet will be presented to the Sub-Group.
19. The Sub-Group on Tropical Fruits is to adopt the Report of its Fifth Session.
PROVISIONAL TIMETABLE
Sunday, 18 September 2005
- 17.00 – 19.00 hours : Registration (place to be determined)
Monday, 19 September 2005
Tuesday, 20 September 2005
Wednesday, 21 September 2005
Thursday, 22 September 2005
Friday, 23 September 2005
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