National Farmers' Federation

Today, the Minerals Council of Australia says a free trade deal between Australia and the European Union offers exciting opportunities for the resources sector, especially critical minerals.

It's a very different story to the National Farmers Federation's views.

It wants the deal off the table, saying it's one-sided... and provides subpar access to EU markets.

Also today, Kimberley traditional owners have travelled to Perth to raise concerns about the possibility of fracking being allowed in their region.

The trade deal was agreed to in March and is currently facing debate in federal parliament.

which needs to endorse the agreement before it's enacted.

The National Farmers Federation, as you heard on The Country Hour yesterday, wants the deal off the table, saying it's one-sided and provides subpar access to EU markets.

But Tanya Constable from the Minerals Council says it has major benefits for the mining sector.

So they set us up for the long term.

President of the National Farmers Federation, Hamish McIntyre, speaking with Sally Sarra.

She also spoke with the Federal Trade Minister, Don Farrell, and asked him if the NFF's concerns were valid and if it was better to have no deal at all.

Look, the short answer to that is no.

You're listening to the Queensland Country Hour with Callie Buchanan on your radio, online and on the ABC Listen app.

The National Farmers Federation wants the federal government to dump the trade deal it spent years negotiating, saying it's one-sided and provides subpar access for farmers to EU markets.

The National Party is leading a revolt in federal parliament where the government will need support to get its deal approved.

but the government's saying it's not possible to change it now.

The National Farmers Federation President and Southern Queensland farmer Hamish McIntyre explained to Sally Sarra why he doesn't want the deal ratified.

This is a generational agreement that locks us in for potentially decades of business and at these volumes we just think, as we've always said, we'd like all political parties to stand with us and just push back as we did in 2023 until we can negotiate greater volumes for many of our commodities but also help protect our dairy industry in Australia particularly and say around beef, you know, we've received... an allocation of about 30 to 38,000 tonne.

That'll be phased in over the next 10 years.

We just think it's no time to rush.

Hi there and a very happy Monday afternoon to you.

Today, the National Farmers Federation is urging the federal government to dump its European Union trade deal, arguing the current arrangements are one-sided and provide subpar access to EU markets.

We'll catch up with the president of the NFF shortly here on The Country Hour.

And then we'll take you to the show.

The text 0448 922 604.

19 past 12.

Well, as Andrew Wiedemann and I were just talking about, the National Farmers Federation is urging the federal government to dump its European Union trade deal, arguing the current arrangements are one-sided.

and provide subpar access to EU markets.

I am deeply concerned that the Nationals, and let's face it, there's only four of them in the Senate, are trying to pull the Liberal Party into a position of opposing our new EU free trade agreement.

And the National Farmers Federation doesn't want the federal government to dump the deal either.

This is the National Farmers Federation President Hamish McIntyre.

The volumes that have been given to Australia are just very low volumes compared to many of our competing countries.

So this is a generational agreement that locks us in for potentially decades of business and at these volumes we just think, as we've always said, we'd like all political parties to stand with us.

Shadow Treasurer Tim Wilson made the case that other groups were also opposed, including the vegetable peak body, AusVeg.

This is Tim Wilson.

The question for the Trade Minister is why hasn't he stood up for Australia's national interest? Why aren't the National Farmers Federation, why isn't Meat and Livestock Australia, why isn't AusVeg out there making the case for this deal? It's because they feel like they've been sold out.

Well, first of all, I've got to say that while the Nationals have been openly opposed to the deal that's been put on the table, we're not exactly Robinson Crusoe in that regard.

I mean, every major agricultural group, including the National Farmers Federation, has been quite scathing about the deal that's been put on the table by the Trade Minister, Don Farrell.

And the feedback we've been receiving is they would rather no deal than a bad deal.

But in terms of our colleagues in the Liberal Party, I've spoken to many of my Liberal friends last week and prior to that, and they also agree that there's nothing in this deal which warrants us signing up for it.

Don Farrell says he's concerned the Nationals are trying to pressure the Liberal Party to reject the agreement.

I'd ask the Liberals to really deeply consider whether they want to be in a position to oppose a free trade agreement.

And the National Farmers Federation is supporting moves for the federal government to dump the deal it has spent years negotiating, saying it's one-sided and provides subpar access for farmers to EU markets.

NFF President Hamish McIntyre says he doesn't want the trade deal ratified.

But the Nationals are not acting alone here.

The National Farmers Federation, which of course is very close to the National Party, but is a lobby group which says it is, you know, representative of the farming community, is also voicing extremely strong concerns about the bill in its current form.

And I would have to just say one other thing here that I think is potentially... something to acknowledge, which is that when governments do these deals, of course they can't bring the opposition in and have them at all the bargaining tables.

I mean, they do stakeholder negotiations, but in the end...