It's an FTA win-win for all farmers: Australian minister

A China-Australia free trade agreement (FTA) - some ten years in the making - will produce a " win-win" scenario for the entire global agricultural sector, as well as equably reaping benefits for the farmers of both countries, Australian Minister for Agriculture Barnaby Joyce told Xinhua on Tuesday.

With China's President Xi Jinping addressing the Australian parliament in Canberra, Minister Joyce told Xinhua at the Sydney airport, where he was inspecting increased biohazard procedures, that any FTA between the two major trading partners would, at its core, produce and defend opportunities for the farmers of both China and Australia.[Special coverage]

"Our countries share an essential sympathy for our farming sectors, while China's massive farming sector has been at the heart of its economic revival and development - in this regard you 've really got to make sure in getting a deal for Australian farmers we must equally ensure that deal doesn't threaten China's farmers," Minister Joyce said.

Australia is in the throes of attempting an economic about-turn as the China-led mining boom of the last decade runs out of steam and China itself transitions its economy.

The transition sees Australia - in the words of UNSW fellow and author Tim Harcourt - attempt to segue way from a "mining boom" to a "dining boom."

The notion has prompted calls for Australia to capitalize on its enormous agricultural potential to become the "food bowl of Asia," a notion Joyce dismisses as mere rhetoric and simply unrealistic.

"Let me say categorically Australia will not - and should not - be the food bowl for Asia that's an absurdity.

"What we will do is provide a premium product for a premium market."

According to Joyce, any FTA with China, Australia's largest trading partner, could never be about one-way traffic. The Australian agriculture minister with a well-earned reputation as a firebrand senator while in opposition and deputy leader of the pro- farmer National Party has been a fierce advocate for agrarian rights and institutional support for farmers everywhere.

"These are the people who overwhelmingly do most of the work but in some instances get a very small part of the endeavors they are a part of."

With a deal crystalizing with the Chinese president's official visit to Australia, hopes here have never been higher that local farmers - cattle, sheep and winegrowers - but particularly the dairy sector - will attain a landmark and equitable agreement.

"Yes, that's been a core consideration." Minister Joyce told Xinhua.

"Chinese farmers must also be getting a better return as their people continue to join the middle class in such astonishing numbers and with these hand over hand agreements."

While leading a September delegation of industry leaders across northern China including the famous ice city of Harbin - Joyce was keen to reassure his Chinese counterpart, Minister Han Changfu in Beijing, that the massive Chinese market would not be flooded by Australian imports.

"While I was over in China, talking to Minister Han, I think they really respected that we've sought what the Chinese call the 'shuang ying' - the win-win scenario where the idea of any deal is to the benefit of both peoples, and we've achieved that, I believe.

"I'm satisfied that they clearly understand Australian farmers won't be putting Chinese farmers out of a job. In fact we want to see the agriculture sector across the globe increase their take at the farm gate."