The change in trade that Aussie farmers have waited 30yrs for

AUSTRALIAN farmers have been fighting for a global agreement struck today, that will create an even playing field for them.

Sunrise during a cattle muster on Anna Creek station, SA, 03 Mar 1995.

JUBILANT Australian farmers say they have been fighting for more than three decades for a global agreement struck today to scrap all agricultural export subsidies.

The World Trade Organisation has reached deals to phase out agricultural export subsidies and restrict agricultural export credits at a ministerial conference in Kenya.

National Farmers’ Federation president Brett Finlay said the subsidies were worth more than $15 billion and had a distorting impact on world trade.

Mr Finlay said abolishing the subsidies was a massive boon for Aussie farmers, and a cause the peak industry body had campaigned for since the 1980s.

“Subsidised trade has also increased global price volatility, lowered market returns and displaced trade by other export suppliers,” Mr Finlay said.

“This commitment to remove the subsidies will have important flow-on benefits for all types of trading economies, both developed and developing.

Unexpected lift ... the National Farmers’ Federation is pleased with the result.

“(It) will create a more even playing field for Australian farmers, including exporters of meat, dairy, sugar, grain, wine, horticulture and cotton,” he said.

Australian Trade Minister Andrew Robb said the “unexpected” agreement to scrap the subsidies was a “remarkable and historic” win for Australian farmers.

“We’ll have a much more level playing field for Australian farmers across every field of endeavour,” the minister told AAP from Nairobi.

“Export subsidies are the most destructive form of assistance and the WTO members have agreed unanimously that we will not in the future have them distorting agriculture in every part of the world.” The WTO agreement will see the immediate removal of subsidies by developed member countries, with developing countries to follow by 2018.