Global dairy prices stem from bad trade agreements
Scoop | 17 February 2016
Global dairy prices stem from bad trade agreements
New Zealand First is blasting the government for poor quality “free trade” agreements and exposing New Zealand farming to questionable Chinese investment.
“How can this government puff out its chest on trade when Whole Milk Powder (WMP) prices are 8.1% below where they were at the beginning of this season,” says New Zealand First Leader and Member of Parliament for Northland Rt Hon Winston Peters.
“Farmers have to wake up because National is the importers’ mate and not theirs. We’re in this mess because agreements like the TPPA don’t address the US$110bn in subsidies being paid to American, Canadian, Mexican and Japanese farmers.
“Now the government wants a deal with the European Union that won’t touch or even mention the €50bn in subsidies doled out to its farmers. As subsidies wreck world trade it’s not what we’re negotiating, but how we’re negotiating.
“Russia is the one agreement we ought to have because Russia is the world’s number two dairy importer, but like his logo masquerading as a flag, Prime Minister John Key is opposed. As a result our farmers are paying the price for his dogmatism.”
