By ALENA HIGGINS
A WARWICK stock and station agent manager has welcomed news of a potential live export deal with China.
The Federal Government revealed earlier this week it was in talks with China to ink an agreement to send $1 billion worth of live cattle to its shores each year.
The deal, which could be rubber stamped as early as this week when China president Xi Jinping visits Brisbane for the G20 Summit, would drive up demand domestically and increase prices for local farmers, Matthew Grayson said.
“Any new export market is good for our cattle trade,” the George and Fuhrmann staffer said.
“Sending a billion dollars worth of cattle offshore means $1 billion less off the Australian market, which is great for our market as it’s mainly driven by supply and demand.”
Meanwhile, local dairy producers could also cash in on a free trade agreement with China currently being negotiated separately to the live cattle export deal.
ABC News has reported new analysis from the United Dairyfarmers of Victoria found the industry could save more than $630 million in tariff duties over a decade, depending on details of the agreement.
Chinese tariffs on Australian dairy are about 10 to 15 per cent.
