Trade deal is good for Australian farmers but not for British farmers - Yorkshire Post Letters

The free trade agreement with Australia and New Zealand places UK farming at risk (NFU). This is the first UK trade agreement made since we left the EU and it is shocking that the government has agreed a deal which discriminates against UK farmers and concerning, because the deal sets a precedence for future trade agreements when the Government starts negotiations to join the CPTPP - the future looks uncertain for the UK farming industry.

Conversely, the Australian Government claims that tariff free access to the UK agricultural market is the best they have seen in generations – quite a contrast of opinion.

The agreement allows zero tariff and zero-quota (after 15 years) on beef, lamb and dairy imports without imposing environmental and animal welfare conditions on production methods, conditions which UK farmers must comply with.

Because of reduced standards along with economies of scale the cost of production for Australian and New Zealand farmers is lower than that of UK farmers creating cheap imports and unfair competition.

The deal favours Australia and New Zealand because the government wants UK farmers to be competitive while at the same time maintaining their high world renowned standards of production (NFU) , a view shared by former Tory Environmental Minister George Eustace.

Rishi Sunak suggests the trade agreement places the UK at the heart of a group of free trading nations, bringing benefits to the economy, increasing innovation and skills and providing access to Australian travel for young people; sounds familiar?

It should, because we had access to these advantages and more as members of the EU.

Future generations will view Brexit as a huge mistake which is costing our nation £100 billion (£100,000,000,000) each year (Bloomberg).