Australian farmers urge government to hold firm in EU trade talks

Australia’s peak farm body is warning the Federal Government not to compromise agricultural interests as negotiations on an Australia–European Union Free Trade Agreement enter a critical phase in Brussels.

Trade Minister Don Farrell has told Parliament the agreement will only proceed if the European Union improves agricultural market access for Australian producers.

National Farmers’ Federation President Hamish McIntyre says farmers expect the government to stand by that commitment, stressing that no deal is better than a bad deal.

He says a one-sided agreement would lock Australian agriculture into decades of disadvantage, particularly if limited access is paired with ongoing European farm subsidies.

The NFF has pointed to the EU’s recent fast-tracking of nearly eighty billion dollars in farm subsidies to support agreements with other trading partners.

Mr McIntyre says Australian farmers can compete globally, but not against heavily subsidised production without meaningful and commercially viable access.

With global trade uncertainty rising, the federation warns accepting a weak deal would undermine farm profitability and Australia’s long-standing commitment to open trade.