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Farmers warn on FTA impact
18 May 2004
Sugar farmers and pork producers have told a Senate hearing into the US-Australia Free Trade Agreement that the deal has sold short local producers. The FTA, due to be signed on May 18, failed to include additional access for Australian sugar to the US market despite Federal Government assurances.
Queensland Sugar Ltd said Australian farmers had just an 87,000-tonne quota for the nine-million tonne US market. Farmers had hoped for an increase of 250,000 tonnes.
Australian Pork Ltd said the new quarantine proposal for imported pork, on top of subsidies within the US farm sector, meant the FTA could undermine domestic pork producers.
Tradingroom.com.au, 17/5/04.
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