Leader of The Nationals Matt Canavan joined Nationals candidates Brett Hosking (Murray Plains) and Shane Sali (Shepparton) at the Kyabram dairy farm of Andrew Murphy, who milks 750 cows.
Mr Murphy said more dairy imports would lead to fewer local dairy farmers and less local produce.
“Our dairy industry is crucial to this region, but when we lose even one dairy farmer, the entire community is impacted,” he said.
“As a local farmer, I am urging the Albanese Government to rethink this terrible deal, which only makes life even harder.”
Australian Dairy Farmers president Ben Bennett, who drove from western Victoria to join the protest, said the ADF was calling for a dairy-specific exemption from new tariff concessions for European dairy imports and restrictions on established Australian dairy product names.
“Europe gets greater access to our market and protections for its product names. Australian dairy gets limited access in return, along with new restrictions on our own cheesemakers,” Mr Bennett said.
“The Australian Government has agreed to open the borders to even more cheap European dairy imports, while our products still face restrictions going the other way.
“A trade deal which puts our ability to produce and process our own dairy products at risk is not in the national interest.
“Opening the floodgates to subsidised European dairy imports at the expense of Australian farmers, jobs and our sovereign food production is not in the national interest.
“The EU has protected its sensitive farm industries. Australia must do the same for dairy as a sensitive domestic industry. Because this is not a level playing field. It’s a one-way street.”
Senator Canavan said his party backed ADF’s calls that no deal was better than a bad deal.
“Dairy farmers don’t want Labor’s sell-out EUFTA,” Senator Canavan said.
“If it’s bad for our dairy farmers, why is Labor pressing ahead with it?
“It is a dud deal sold on dodgy figures. Labor has misled the public and the Senate to declare a $10 billion so-called benefit from the deal, increasing up to $30 billion, which relied on the EU getting rid of all agricultural tariffs.
“But that is not the deal Labor delivered. The final agreement retains significant restrictions on Australian agricultural exports, including dairy, meaning the modelling was based on market access the government never secured.”