Federated Farmers found some allies in their fight for free trade at a meeting of the Carins Group Farm Leaders in Indonesia this week.
Federated Farmers President, Don Nicolson and vice president, Frank Brenmuhl, said farm leaders round the world supported Feds’ in condemning protectionism and trade barriers.
“Farm leaders were highly critical of trade restrictions that have spread across the globe like a plague. Since the world economy went into recession last year, 17 of the G20 countries have implemented some form of protectionism.
“There is no doubt export subsidies hurt farmers and consumers alike. That is why we denounce the US and EU’s move to subsidise their inefficient dairy farmers.
“When countries adopted bad economic policies in decades past, only their own citizens paid the price. What these Governments don’t seem to understand is that, in today’s global economy, the burden falls far more broadly.
The only people who benefit in the long run from trade barriers are the bureaucrats whose jobs depend on them.
Taxpayers, consumers and producers all pay dearly for protectionist policies which increase costs and inefficiencies.
Homepaddock 