Dairy industry welcomes Thai-Australian FTA

The dairy industry has welcomed the final signing of a free trade deal between Australia and Thailand, predicting it'll mean a $9 million windfall for its farmers.

Quotas will be increased and tariffs cut on cheese and skim milk powders to Thailand, when the agreement starts on January 1.

The deal should also mean reduced tariffs for beef and lamb, wine, seafood, peanuts and timber.

But fruit and vegetable growers won't benefit as quickly, and that's angered Max Summers from the Horticulture Exporters Association.

"We're disappointed to find that key Australian exports like table grapes and mandarins must wait until 2015, and seed potato until 2030, until duties are reduced to zero.

"So it's left many Australian exporters quite angry."

This is a transcript from the ABC National Rural News that is broadcast daily to all states on ABC Regional Radio's Country Hour and in the city on ABC News Radio.

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So no table grapes, mandarines or Calypso/NT mangos for another 11 years.

Does anyone know what Thais will export in exchange?

Dairy industry welcomes Thai-Australian FTA

The dairy industry has welcomed the final signing of a free trade deal between Australia and Thailand, predicting it'll mean a $9 million windfall for its farmers.

Just to avoid confusion, thats the Austrailian Dairy Industry welcoming the FTA not the Thai one. There has been a lot of opposition form the Thai dairy industry to the FTA. Personaly I cant really see it affecting the dairy industry in Thailand that much as Thailand is a net importer of milk and can only supply about half its needs.

Also it will be milk products not "fresh milk" that is mainly imported ie skimed milk powder