Representatives of a coalition of farmers federations said after a meeting with World Trade Organisation chief negotiator Shotaro Oshima that their concerns focused on the drive for market access by bringing down tariffs.

"We told him we were not opposed to the progress of the negotiations, but certainly not with the text on agriculture," Jean-Michel Lemetayer, vice-president of the Committee of Agricultural Organisations in the European Union said afterwards.

The draft compromise text Oshima released to the WTO members states on July 16 calls for the elimination of export subisidies on agriculture and cuts in import tariffs.

The 147 member states are due to meet at a ruling WTO General Council meeting from Tuesday to try to reach an agreement by the end of the week on new guidelines that would galvanise troubled global trade talks.