Forecaster doubts any rapid global change on farming subsidies

Australia's chief commodities forecaster remains sceptical of significant change in European Union and United States farming policies but says removing subsidies would be of significant benefit to Australasian farmers.

Brian Fisher, executive director of the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (Abare), said today while he welcomed the proposed removal of farming subsidies, farmers needed to take a realistic perspective on how long it might take.

"I think in the short term if it were to happen, but I remain somewhat sceptical frankly, I think it would make a serious difference (for Australia farmers)," he told AAP.

"First of all to our market access and second of all to the prices we receive on the world markets.

"(But) I think frankly, we need to take a realistic perspective of how long this might take."

Dr Fisher spoke to farmers in northern Tasmania today at one of a series of regional conferences following Abare's national meeting in Canberra earlier this year.

He said the US, EU and north-east Asian farming policies were "the most distorting farm policies on the planet".

"They lead to enormous levels of excess production in those countries," he said.

ABARE is currently in discussions on market access and cuts of protection for a range of products but Dr Fisher said until some movement was achieved, "it's a long, hard road for farmers, basically".

The meeting calling for greater competitiveness on a global scale was also confronted by farmers in Devonport with concerns about Australia's struggling vegetable industry -- particularly having their products displaced by imported New Zealand vegetables.

Dr Fisher said Abare was working with the federal government to complete a major study on the industry, which would be used for future policy.

"Certainly we need to think carefully about how some of those industries might be structured to ensure that they can compete in the world market," he said.

- AAP