Minister for Primary Industries and Member for Burrinjuck Katrina Hodgkinson has commended the Federal Government on an excellent outcome for NSW farmers, with the successful negotiation of a Free Trade Agreement with China.
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"The agreement will make a huge difference for many of our State's rural industries and will flow back through to the farmgate as increased returns for many of our farmers," Minister Hodgkinson said.
"The beef, sheepmeat, wool, dairy and wine industries are clear and significant winners from the deal.
"Cattle and lamb producers and winegrape growers are smiling broadly."
Minister Hodgkinson said the removal of the current 12 to 23 per cent tariffs on sheepmeat over eight years will boost export returns, with 25 percent of Australian sheepmeat exports to China coming from NSW, and volumes growing.
"Tariffs of 12 to 25 per cent on beef will be abolished over nine years and this will lift the State's beef industry with NSW supplying 20 per cent of current exports of beef to China.
"On wine, tariffs of 14 to 20 per cent are being removed over four years which should increase the competitiveness of NSW quality wines on the Chinese market.
"The State's woolgrowers will benefit from an Australia-only duty free quota for wool in addition to China's WTO wool quota.
"Many of our horticulture industries - like citrus, stonefruit and macadamias - are also pleased with the China deal that removes tariffs on horticulture products of up to 30 per cent within four years."
Minister Hodgkinson acknowledged some concerns from rice, cotton and sugar producers - and expressed disappointment they couldn't be part of the deal.
"I, like many, wanted to see benefits for those industries as well but the overall trade deal is a big winner for the State's agriculture industries."
Minister Hodgkinson said it is timely that the NSW Liberals and Nationals had just this week launched its Agriculture Industry Action Plan.
"Long-term planning is key to taking full advantage of the trade deals struck this year with South Korea, Japan and now China," Minister Hodgkinson said.
The State's Agriculture Industry Action Plan (IAP) Primed for growth: Investing locally, connecting globally is the first of its kind in NSW and has been developed by industry and the NSW Government to drive continued growth of our primary industries sector and to support growth of jobs in rural and regional areas