Andrew Brown, a farmer in Rutland, discusses his concerns about the Australia Free trade deal agreed today.
As a farmer, today I feel like I have been betrayed by our government. Today it was reported that the government will offer Australia a free trade deal that will phase out import tariffs over the next 15 years.
Farmers like me have been begging the government not to do this, not just for the sake of UK farming that will not survive being undercut by cheap imports from Australia, but also for the sake of our consumers - people like you.
Zero tariff trade with Australia with no quota restrictions will mean that food produced using methods that are illegal in the UK will be sold at prices that undercut UK produce in our supermarkets. I am proud of the UK’s high environmental and animal welfare standards. But as things stand, UK farmers face being undercut by food produced at lower standards and consumers will be eating hormone-fed beef.
I am furious and it is time for us to take a stand. Boris Johnson’s government promised that British farming would be protected. They told us that sustainability was a priority for them, but actions speak louder than words and I simply don’t believe them.
As part of today's Action Day, I am asking you to take action and write to your MP and tell them that you will not stand by and let damaging deals like the Australia trade deal drive down British standards.
Thank you for standing up for British farming, Using the European Movement’s tool, it takes just five minutes to send an email to your MP but if we all do it together, we could have a huge impact.