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Red meat exports to top $1bn after China agreement: National Farmers Federation

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Lining up: Australia's red meat exports to China could soon exceed $1 billion per annum as a result of Friday's agreement, the NFF says. James Davies
by Michael Bleby and AAP
Australia's red meat exports to China were likely to soon jump over $1 billion again per annum, following a bilateral agreement expanding market access on Friday, the National Farmers Federation said.
Exports last year the industry group put at $670 million in beef and $240 million in sheep meat would get a boost from the addition of 15 beef abattoirs to the list of permitted exporters and the establishment of new protocols around the slaughter of Australian sheep and goats, it said.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang committed on Friday to buying another $400 million of chilled beef.
"This is particularly welcome news," NFF president Fiona Simson said on Friday. "Today's announcement enables Australian livestock producers to continue to satisfy China's growing demand for high-quality red meat."

The agreement makes it easier for Australia's exports to return above the $1 billion-level that they stood at in 2015, before production levels were pulled lower by drought.

Speaking after the signing the Joint Statement on Enhancing Inspection and Cooperation with Mr Li, between Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and said it was part of a new phase of the year-old China-Australia free trade deal.
"Australia is the only country in the world with this market access," Mr Turnbull said. "This new agreement will drive significant future growth."
Access for chilled beef – a higher-quality product than the cheaper frozen beef – has been a sensitive bi-lateral issue since Beijing abruptly halted imports in September 2013. At the time it was seen as a response to complaints from Chinese producers, who were rapidly losing market share to their Australian rivals.
Just 11 per cent of Australia's beef export to China last year was chilled. The rest was frozen.

Other beef exports are growing. Last month businesswoman Gina Rinehart dispatched Australia's inaugural shipment of live beef cattle to China. That trade became possible following a bilateral November 2014 agreement under which Beijing removed a 5 per cent tariff on live cattle said up to 1 million head of cattle could be shipped each year.
While the near-doubling of cattle prices in Australia since 2014 has dampened the trade, rising production in the second half of this year is likely to ease prices, industry body Meat & Livestock Australia has said.
Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce, who said Australia will also sell donkey meat and edible skins into China, is also pushing to export kangaroo meat.
"What we are providing is food for a more affluent society," Mr Joyce said.


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