Thread: Which is it to be, fuel or food

Don't worry, the fuel crops will soon be genetically modified to include the benzene gene, and as such won't be edible, but will deliver better mpg. Just watch out if these fields ever catch fire!!!

The risk to overcome is cross-pollination of the benzene gene with tabacco crops, as the resultant product may cause severe facial burns to smokers.

We are already being held to ransom for both. Does not matter what the year is like farmers always cry poverty and the price of food goes up to accomodate the alledged shortage. While Australian produce can be sold at a higher price overseas, Australian domestic consumers get shafted. Does not matter that it is the taxpayer that supports all agriculture in the so called bad seasons. The stupid thing is a lot of our A grade fruit goes o/s. Orchardist's in SA are dumping fruit and ripping out trees. Oh to be able to get nice fresh Australian oranges at a decent price in the supermarket. No we get a choice - American. Same as our meat, seafood etc.
Anyone sneezes anywhere in the world the price of oil goes up.

But global trade is so good for the country come on.. George w Bush and little lap dog Johnnie wouldn't be wrong.

You have to go broke its good for the country

What are you a terrorist ......asking questions like that. you'll get locked up.

dont worry by the time all the forests have been cut down for
fields to grow all the crops we will run out of oxygen to breath

CraigE: I am a farmer and I can tell you that I get half of bugger all from the Govt. Most of the time they just complicate my life with water restrictions from my own dams and other such idoicy (is that a word?).

Handouts to farmers is an urban myth. Well - never heard of anything like that around here anyway.

Originally Posted by spudboy

CraigE: I am a farmer and I can tell you that I get half of bugger all from the Govt. Most of the time they just complicate my life with water restrictions from my own dams and other such idoicy (is that a word?).

Handouts to farmers is an urban myth. Well - never heard of anything like that around here anyway.

It is odd. depends who you talk to about hand outs. Some get them some do not and the red tape can be prohibitive for some. But at the end of the day (and this may offend some) a farm is a business and if it is not profit making or viable should not rely on the taxpayer to be propped up. Very few businesses will get assistance through poor management or weather extremes. There are some doing it tough and I pity them but it is no different to Joe Bloggs down the road who had a nice profitable deli, until a bypass went in and his traffic flow reduction stopped people calling in for a pie and coke and he went broke? He would get no assistance at all. At the end of the day farmers should have income insurance like the rest of us. In good seasons something should be put away. Smaller farmers are not my target, but the bigger ones with multiple farms always seem to be the first ones with their hands out after getting out of their nice new Statesman Caprice. You only have to watch the Cocky's kids down on the beach pull up in their shiny new $80k F250's with the back and a trailer loaded up with $100k-150k worth of dirt bikes. My heart bleeds for these.
The issue I really have is it does not matter what the year is like, too much rain, not enough rain, rain to early, rain too late there is always a farmers advocate on tv crying poverty for the farmers and saying, oh prices will have to go up. It is as bad as the oil companies. If you want to see farmers struggling go talk to a small dairy farmer, now they have been shafted by the government and the milk processor. Talk to the potato growers who are not allowed to sell their potatos in WA. They get no assistance. As I am sure a lot of farmers dont either or are too proud to take.
Generally the farmers do get to little for what they grow/raise and the middle man reaps the huge profits, but hey the farmers sold out the Co-Ops to make some short term gains in the 70's and 80's and now they are paying the price.
When it is an unmistakingly catostrophic event, then maybe assistance is needed, but we hear the same speeches year in year out, but no body wants to put their hand in their pocket and contribute to a fund when they have their bumper years.
I do not begrudge farmers making a decent even highly profitable living but I do condem the taxpayer bailing them out. I do have many friends that are farmers too.
At the end of the day if we had bitten the bullet (not too late to do it) and built a pipe line from the Kimberley down to lower WA/SA/NT there would be plenty of water for drought years.
This will raise a few hackles but that's life. I do pity the farmers that have marginal properties, but maybe its time to do something else.
Spud boy, I agree it is a con when you build the dam but do not own or have the rights to use all the water. I hope your property makes you a decent living, even a great one.

Your A Brave Man!!!!!
I DONT THINK I WOULD HAVE SAID THAT, BUT WHAT YOU SAID IS TRUE.

Originally Posted by chunk

Your A Brave Man!!!!!
I DONT THINK I WOULD HAVE SAID THAT, BUT WHAT YOU SAID IS TRUE.

Geez Chunk, your in for it now too because you have agreed with me.

Most farmers that recieve the handout actually agree, when you talk calmly to them. I do agree it should be actually easier for people who have a bad year or get retrenched/sacked to be able to get unemployment benefits asap though. I do wish farmers could make a decent living and not be border line. I would not mind some of the price increases if they were passed on to farmers that need them. But just look at the price of lamb over the last 3 or so years. Now Aussies can barely afford lamb.