Geneva ? Negotiations on a global trade treaty ended in disarray Saturday when major trading nations failed to resolve differences on further lowering barriers to commerce.

More than 60 ministers from nations in the 149-member World Trade Organization had come together after months of failed discussions and missed deadlines to try to break a deadlock over sensitive farm tariffs and subsidies.

WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy had warned that the weekend talks were the last realistic chance to find agreement on lowering barriers to trade in farm and manufactured goods – a vital step toward a new treaty billed as a recipe for lifting millions of people out of poverty.

The ministers are slated to meet again later this month.