25 Mar 2026
Queensland farmers disappointed by Australia-European Union trade deal outcome
The Queensland Farmers’ Federation (QFF) has joined the broader Australian agriculture sector in its disappointment following the outcomes of the Australia-European Union Free Trade Agreement.
While QFF is still reviewing the full details of the agreement, we are disheartened by the inadequate additional allocations for key Queensland agricultural exports, including beef and sugar.
QFF CEO Jo Sheppard said trade agreements of this scale are generational decisions and critical in delivering meaningful results for Australian agriculture.
“For decades, our sector has been guided by a clear principle of wanting more two-way trade with the EU, not less,” Ms Sheppard said.
“Deals such as this shape the future of our sector for decades. As such, QFF supports the National Farmers’ Federation’s (NFF) sentiment that for agreements such as these, a bad deal is actually worse than no deal.”
“There is significant concern that other countries have secured more favourable agricultural trade access to the European market than Australia under this agreement.
“This is particularly troubling given Australian exports around 70 per cent of what we produce, and our farmers do not benefit from the same levels of government subsidy seen in other nations. Market access is critical to the long-term viability and competitiveness of Australian agriculture.”
Ms Sheppard said Queensland farmers produce world-class food, fibre, and foliage backed by strong sustainability credentials, and should be competing on a level playing field.
“Australian agriculture delivers high-quality, safe and sustainably produced products that are in demand globally. Trade agreements must recognise and support that value.”
“As the NFF have noted, this subpar agreement has come at a dreadful time for Australian farmers, with many exporters already working through trade volatility in other key export markets amongst the global disruption caused by the conflict in the Middle East.”
QFF acknowledges that while some commodities have welcomed elements of the deal, the overall agreement falls short of the expectations and aspirations of Queensland farmers and regional communities.
“We recognise this is a complex and broad agreement, with agriculture one component of a much larger deal. However, farmers, agricultural exports and regional communities are worth fighting for, and decisions like this risk locking in generational disadvantage for our primary producers,” Ms Sheppard said.
CANEGROWERS CEO Dan Galligan labelled the outcome as a complete failure for cane farming families and Australian sugar manufacturers that falls well short of what producers had been seeking.
“The market access Australia has achieved is extremely small – less than 2% of Europe’s import requirement and well below what Brazil and its Mercosur partners secured last year, which was around four times larger than Australia’s outcome,” Mr Galligan said.
“Compounding this, the deal delivers no growth, no pathway to expand access and effectively locks growers into a bad deal for the next generation.”
“The EU is a net importer of sugar and must bring in significant volumes each year to meet domestic demand. Australia can help meet that demand with high-quality, sustainably produced sugar, but instead we have been locked out.”
eastAUSmilk CEO Eric Danzi echoed concerns around the generational impacts of the agreement and the uncompetitive nature of the deal.
“The export quotas this agreement has opened up for Australian dairy products are offset by the greater risk of import pressure on our producers,” Mr Danzi said.
“Australia’s dairy industry is one of the least subsidised globally, and this agreement has opened our domestic market up to some of the most supported producers in the world. This creates an uneven playing field for Australian farmers and risks the long-term viability of Australian dairying.”
“We do acknowledge some positive outcomes in the deal for the industry, including continued use of certain geographical indications, including parmesan, and the opportunity for high-value premium dairy exports, but have to stress that this deal strips protections from our domestic producers that will be felt for generations.”
QFF will continue to work with industry and government to advocate for improved trade outcomes that support a strong competitive and sustainable agricultural sector.
-ENDS-
Media contact:
Jak Kirwin
Acting Corporate Partnerships and Communications Manager, QFF
E: comms@qff.org.au
M: 0488 305 106