CANADA SEEKS FIVE YEAR FARM REFORM PLAN Canada will propose at the new round of international trade talks that most trade-distorting farm subsidies be phased out over a five year period, Trade Minister Pat Carney said. "Agricultural subsidies and trade barriers have created a vicious circle which continues to cause problems of overproduction and low commodity prices," Carney told the House of Commons. Carney was outlining the government's new position on the farm trade problem that was tabled on Tuesday in Geneva in the multilateral talks under the GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade). While few details were released, Carney said the government would also be pressing for an improvement in market access and new measures to ensure countries do not erect artificial barriers. "Under the Canadian proposal, all countries would have to ensure that domestic policies and programs to address the specific needs of their farm sectors do not distort trade," a government background paper said. "Furthermore, in assessing the trade impact of programs, credit could be given to countries which effectively control the output of farm products," the papers said.