The Federal Government’s announcement of $1.44 million to further diversify Australia’s wool market is an added return on the investment the Coalition made in office, Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster MP said.

“As we know all too well in Mallee after China’s aggressive behaviour on tariffs against our wine and barley producers – and as any farmer knows from experience – it is a high risk strategy to put all your eggs in the one basket,” Dr Webster said, “For too long China has dominated the wool processing market and Australian wool producers need their government to help them diversify towards other opportunities.”

“To their credit Woolproducers Australia have progressed the business case thanks to funding from the former Coalition Government’s Agricultural Trade and Market Access Cooperation (ATMAC) initiative. Now wool producers have new options are on the table, whether it be future wool processing here in Australia, or working with Vietnam, India or Bangladesh.

“Market diversification makes sense, and that’s why the Coalition is frustrated that the Albanese Labor Government appear to have walked away completely from European Union negotiations.

“Shadow Trade Minister Kevin Hogan has today questioned why the Prime Minister has not called the EU Commission president to revive an EU trade deal potentially worth $40 billion a year in bilateral trade.  Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison picked up the phone in the same way to get the United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement moving, yet again we see this distracted Albanese Labor government letting regional Australians down.”

Australian wineries have been signalling they stand ready to resume exporting to China again in anticipation of sanctions lifting soon. Re-opening the Chinese market will provide some help for wine producers amid a glut of wine grapes in Australia that has seen some winegrape growers in Mallee unable to earn enough to warrant harvesting the grapes.

“We need more market opportunities for our food, wine and fibre producers because market access shields our farmers from aggression from one trading partner.

“The Coalition secured deals with Korea, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Peru and Indonesia, plus the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations, and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with 10 countries.  So far Labor has only signed deals with India and the UK, which the Coalition worked hard to secure. Labor needs to open more markets, but their distraction on pet projects and inner-city voters is costing Australian producers.”