GATT OFFICIAL MEETS WITH U.S. FARM LEADERS
  The official in charge of
  agricultural matters in the new round of global trade talks is
  in Washington today and tomorrow to meet with congressional and
  Reagan administration officials.
      Aart de Zeeuw, chairman of the General Agreement on Tariffs
  and Trade's negotiating group on agriculture, met this morning
  with members of the House Agriculture Committee.
      Committee sources said De Zeeuw expressed concern over
  protectionism and high farm price supports. House lawmakers
  noted that in 1985 the United States took steps to reduce loan
  rates, committee staff said.
      "Members told him (De Zeeuw) that we lowered our (U.S.) loan
  rates and can't eliminate subsidies unilaterally," one source
  said.
      De Zeeuw was told of the U.S. lawmakers' frustration with
  Japan's restrictive rice import policy, and members defended
  the U.S. dairy policy, which aims to cut surplus production by
  subsidizing producers to trim herds, sources said.
      Later today De Zeeuw will meet the Senate Agriculture
  members and Undersecretary of State Affairs Allen Wallis.
      Tomorrow, De Zeeuw is to meet the House Ways and Means
  Trade Subcommittee and the Senate Finance Committee, before
  visiting Agriculture Secretary Richard Lyng.
      De Zeeuw goes to Canada later this week. His trip to North
  America is part of his attempt to meet farm policy leaders in
  the key GATT member states.
      The negotiating group on agriculture held its first meeting
  in February and is expected to meet again in May.
  

