OTHER NEWS - March 12, 1992

U.S. Eases Farm-Talks Position: The United States and Europe are still far from resolving a dispute over farm subsidies, despite a U.S. offer to soften its position, said officials at the talks in Brussels. “There is some progress, but there are still major difficulties,” said Ray MacSharry, farm chief of the European Community, the 12-nation trading bloc. The two sides are battling over how much to reduce government payments to farmers. The Bush Administration wants far deeper cuts than the Europeans are willing to make. But Frans Andriessen, the community’s top trade official, said President Bush has signaled a willingness to allow the trading bloc to exclude some government payments to farmers from the cuts.