Vegetable growers seek European trade opportunities, while the NFF urges political parties to "put farmers first"

By Jessica Dempster

Amid reports that the Coalition will vote against the Australia-European Union Free Trade Agreement as it stands, vegetable industry body AUSVEG is backing calls from Trade Minister Don Farrell for all sides of politics to support its passage.

AUSVEG says the long-awaited agreement, which was reached in March, would eliminate tariffs on Australian vegetables entering Europe, creating opportunities to compete in a market of about 450 million consumers.

It says onion growers in particular would benefit greatly from the deal, with Australian exports to Europe falling drastically over the past two decades.

AUSVEG chief executive Michael Coote says growers need these new export opportunities as production costs  continue to rise and shipments to the Middle East remain disrupted.

However, the National Farmers’ Federation is urging all political parties to "put farmers first" and vote agaisnt the deal, with the federation's president, Hamish McIntyre, saying the agreement offers little improvement for commodities including beef, dairy and sugar, while European producers continue to benefit from substantial government subsidies.

Mr McIntyre says that while the NFF has always supported free and fair trade - and more agricultural trade with Europe remains in Australia’s national interest - they believe this current deal would "lock in decades of disadvantage, at a time when commodities are already under immense pressure".