▁ ▁Neg oti ations ▁had ▁continued ▁since ▁the ▁last ▁conference ▁in ▁June ▁ 2 0 0 7 . ▁Director - general ▁Pascal ▁Lam y ▁said ▁before ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁conference ▁that ▁the ▁odd s ▁of ▁success ▁were ▁over ▁ 5 0 %. ▁Ar ound ▁ 4 0 ▁minister s ▁attended ▁the ▁negoti ations , ▁which ▁were ▁only ▁expected ▁to ▁last ▁five ▁days ▁but ▁instead ▁last ed ▁nine ▁days . ▁Kam al ▁N ath , ▁India ' s ▁Com merce ▁Minister , ▁was ▁absent ▁from ▁the ▁first ▁few ▁days ▁of ▁the ▁conference ▁due ▁to ▁a ▁vote ▁of ▁confidence ▁being ▁conducted ▁in ▁India ' s ▁Parliament . ▁On ▁the ▁second ▁day ▁of ▁the ▁conference , ▁U . S . ▁Trade ▁Represent ative ▁Susan ▁Schw ab ▁announced ▁that ▁the ▁US ▁would ▁cap ▁its ▁farm ▁subs id ies ▁at ▁$ 1 5   b ill ion ▁a ▁year , ▁from ▁$ 1 8 . 2   b ill ion ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 6 . ▁The ▁proposal ▁was ▁on ▁the ▁condition ▁that ▁countries ▁such ▁as ▁Brazil ▁and ▁India ▁drop ▁their ▁ob jections ▁to ▁various ▁aspects ▁of ▁the ▁round . ▁The ▁US ▁and ▁the ▁EU ▁also ▁offered ▁an ▁increase ▁in ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁temporary ▁work ▁vis as ▁for ▁professional ▁workers . ▁After ▁one ▁week ▁of ▁negoti ations , ▁many ▁considered ▁agreement ▁to ▁be ▁' with in ▁reach '. ▁However , ▁there ▁were ▁disag re ements ▁on ▁issues ▁including ▁special ▁protection ▁for ▁Chinese ▁and ▁Indian ▁far mers ▁and ▁African ▁and ▁Car ib bean ▁ban ana ▁imports ▁to