Recommendation 21

We asked why the National Farmers Union is so pessimistic about the trade agreement. The Department admitted that there were risks and downsides to the deal and that a body which represents the interests of farmers would be concerned about the downside, although the Department considered the downside to be very unlikely.55 We acknowledged that a trade deal requires compromise on both sides. However, the National Farmers Union may have concerns that farmers have been disadvantaged by the agreement so that the UK can gain access to Australia’s financial services market.56