HORTICULTURE has received little benefit from Australia's free-trade agreements, according to industry leaders.
But the meat and dairy industries are more upbeat, saying any improvement in market access is potentially good for exporters.
A recent Australian Industry Group survey of 50 companies across a range of industries found only a minority thought they had benefited from FTAs.
Australia has deals in place with the US, New Zealand, Thailand, Singapore, Chile and the ASEAN nations.
Speaking on the fifth anniversary of the US FTA, Horticulture Australia Council chief executive Kris Newton said the industry hadn't received a "particularly constructive" deal out of FTAs.
"In general terms, my response is, 'what benefits?'," she said.
Australian Horticultural Exporters' Association deputy chairman David Minnis said the US FTA had been a "complete and utter waste of time".
"There's been little in it for us because the Americans are still basically protectionist," Mr Minnis said.
A 4000-tonne avocado quota was of no use because of quarantine barriers, while lower citrus duties were worth just $670,000 a year to the industry, he said.
But the Australian Meat Industry Council's national director of processing, Steve Martyn, said better market access was the "number-one priority" for the red-meat industry and FTAs offered that.
The removal of US import duties would help beef exporters, while lamb exports had risen substantially since US quotas were scrapped, he said.
"But you don't see the benefits overnight," Mr Martyn said.
Dairy Australia's general manager of trade and strategy, Chris Phillips, said trade deals offered dairy exporters better market access and choice.
"But they need to be in place for five to 10 years before you can really judge their impact," Mr Phillips said.
Warrnambool Cheese and Butter's general manager for sales, marketing and innovation, John Williams, said the US FTA allowed the extra volumes needed to get full value from the company's new marketing strategy for the US.
