Federated Farmers writes for the Wall Street Journal

The prestigious Wall Street Journal is today carrying an opinion piece on U.S. dairy export subsidies, written by Federated Farmers President, Don Nicolson. The piece is appropriately entitled, Milking Export Subsidies.

“While the extension of U.S. export subsidies was an unwelcome shock generating many column inches both here and in Australia, we were effectively only talking to ourselves,” said Don Nicolson, President of Federated Farmers, speaking from Indonesia where he’s attending the Cairns Group meeting of agricultural exporting nations.

“I felt we had to take our compelling message that we farm without subsidy and on our own two feet, direct to the United States and the international business community.

“Writing a letter to President Barack Obama was one thing. Getting wider attention on this most important issue is another.

“That’s why the Wall Street Journal was the logical choice. It’s the trade paper of American commerce and one of the most respected newspapers in the world. It has genuine gravitas with U.S. policy makers.

“It’s an honour and a bit of a coup really that Federated Farmers has had such a topical piece accepted. The timing is ideal, given it coincides with the Cairns Group meeting being attended by U.S. trade representative, Ron Kirk and the World Trade Organisation’s Director-General, Pascal Lamy.

“New Zealand and its farmers are up against a powerful U.S. dairy lobby that’s only interested in keeping its subsidies. Hopefully this opinion piece will give U.S. policy makers time to pause, think and reconsider what folly it really is.

“Given President Obama was elected on a platform of change, we hope that following our recent letter to him, he’ll now read in the Wall Street Journal compelling arguments for ending subsidies and protectionism.

“Federated Farmers is acting proactively to protect farm viability and the returns that New Zealand’s dairy farmers receive. Unless subsidies and protectionism is nipped in the bud, history tells us they’ll expand and morph into other areas.

“Federated Farmers is fulfilling its important mission by fighting on behalf of New Zealand’s farmers,” Mr Nicolson concluded.