Agricultural negotiators at WTO elected Vangelis Vitalis, the New Zealand ambassador, to chair ag-trade discussions, the WTO announced. Vitalis is the fifth consecutive Kiwi to be chosen as chair of the farm-trade talks, a streak that began 12 years ago. In remarks following his selection, Vitalis said his responsibilities “include the process to find a permanent solution to the issue of public stockholding for food security purposes.” Government ownership of food stockpiles is contentious on many counts, including concerns about the impact on commodity prices, the size of stockpiles and the conditions for release of materials. Vitalis urged negotiators to achieve consensus on agricultural issues, given their central role in reaching an agreement in the long-running Doha Round of talks. A meeting of trade ministers is set for Dec. 18 in Nairobi to assess progress.