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China trade reform urged
30 Apr 2004
Elders China’s Nick Hunt says trade protocols with China are in urgent need of reform if Australia is to take advantage of surging demand from that nation. While protocols exist for most agricultural products, Mr Hunt says they’re still largely ineffective and inefficient. And while demand for Australian livestock, meat and genetics is booming due to BSE scares in North America, Australia is squandering a unique opportunity to develop business and gain market share from our exporting competitors, he said.
For example, the demand for Australian dairy cattle in China is escalating rapidly, but it takes up to eight months from initial negotiations with customers to have the cattle arrive on-farm in China. To achieve the same outcome in Mexico takes only eight weeks.
Mr Hunt hopes that last week's visit to China by Federal Trade Minister, Mark Vaile, will lead to the implementation of far more effective protocols.
Meanwhile Elders and one of China's largest agricultural operations, the Xuzhou VV Group, have signed a contract for a shipment of 3,000 live dairy heifers to China. The shipment of Holstein-Friesian heifers is worth more than $6.5 million.
Stock Journal, 29/4/04.
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