Trade is fundamental to Australian agriculture. In the three years to 2024–25, Australia exported around 71% of its agricultural production by volume, with agricultural exports valued at $75.8 billion in 2024–25.
For Australian farmers, access to global markets means more customers, stronger returns at the farm gate, more regional jobs and a greater contribution to global food security.
Australian farmers compete every day in global markets against producers operating under very different policy settings. Australian agriculture is among the least subsidised in the world, which has driven our farmers to be highly efficient, innovative and resilient. That discipline has also supported improvements in sustainability, as farm businesses invest in productivity, land stewardship, biosecurity, animal welfare and resource efficiency to remain competitive over the long term.
The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) advocates for an open, fair and rules-based global trading system that allows Australian farmers to compete on quality, efficiency and reliability. Trade settings directly affect farm businesses: tariffs, quotas, subsidies and non-tariff barriers can reduce market access, distort prices and limit the ability of Australian agriculture to reach its full potential.
The NFF works with government, industry and international partners to advocate on behalf of the agriculture sector as a whole. Our focus is on policy settings that support expanded market access opportunities, protect existing access and ensure trade rules are transparent, science-based and commercially workable for Australian farm businesses.
We also help ensure Australian farmers have a strong voice in global policy debates that affect agriculture. Through our membership of the World Farmers’ Organisation, and as secretariat to the Cairns Group Farm Leaders, we promote Australian agriculture on the global stage and work with farmer organisations around the world to support practical, farmer-led approaches to trade, sustainability and food security.
Free trade agreements are vitally important to Australian agriculture. The success of Australian agriculture is heavily linked to international trade.
An initiative to provide a ‘whole-of-sector’ voice during trade delegations and events, and to help coordinate TDN agri-food member activity.
Free trade agreements are vitally important to Australian agriculture. More than 80% of Australia’s farm exports go to countries which have signed FTAs with Australia.
The European Union remains one of the few unrealised opportunities with respect to new FTAs.
The success of Australian agriculture is heavily linked to international trade. More than 70% of our farm production is exported. Unfortunately, recent multilateral efforts to lower barriers to trade have struggled to make an impact.
As a result, free trade agreements (FTAs) have become the main tool for driving trade liberalisation.
Delivered by the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), the Accessing New Markets Initiative (ANMI) is a $50 million program helping Australian businesses to diversify into new export markets and capitalise on growth opportunities in established markets.
The Office of the Australian Agriculture Trade Diversification Representative is designed as an industry-led function hosted by the National Farmers Federation (NFF). Its priority aim is to appoint a candidate to the role of Australian Agriculture Trade Diversification Representative. This Representative will have deep agricultural industry experience and standing in order to provide a ‘whole-of-sector’ voice during trade delegations and events, and to help coordinate TDN agri-food member activity.
The NFF strongly supports the National Biosecurity Strategy (NBS) as a framework to align priorities and actions to strengthen Australia’s biosecurity system. The proposed reform agenda presents a range of
The Fair Work Commission is conducting its annual wage review. The NFF’s full submission can be found here.
The NFF strongly supports the OFCP as a key mechanism to address the significant and often prohibitive cost of connectivity for Australian farmers and, in turn, a key mechanism to
NFF supports reforms that deliver environmental protections, faster and efficient approval processes, and more transparency and integrity around environmental decision-making. We do not support the passage of legislation as currently
Comments attributable to NFF President Hamish McIntyre The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) unequivocally supports Sheep Producers Australia (SPA), the Australian Meat Industry Council (AMIC) and Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA)
The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) has welcomed the Australian Government’s investment in strengthening Australia’s agricultural traceability systems through a new industry-led national traceability governance mechanism. The Australian Government has provided
The National Farmers’ Federation has welcomed the Federal Government’s decision to expand access to a key Capital Gains Tax (CGT) concession, describing it as one of the most consequential wins
The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) is pleased to announce Ms Su McCluskey has been appointed as the NFF’s Australian Agriculture Trade Diversification Representative. Funded by the Federal Government’s Accessing New Markets Initiative, the Australian Agriculture Trade Diversification Representative is a 12-month project promoting agrifood trade opportunities in new and existing markets.
