Hello Vaughan et. al.,
Jokes aside :) it has been interesting to note other peoples ideas about
life and dairying in particular.
It seems I live in a different world or have different philosophical
beliefs.
The answers coming through could be generally described as "work harder and
become more efficient" when I am (and most of the farmers around here)
looking for more leisure time ... surely that is what "labour saving
devices" should allow!
I live in the Murray Valley irrigation area and have farmed and worked here
since 1950. The original Soldier Settler farms were droughtproof but not
inflation proof. The Settlers were set up with long term, low interest loans
which allowed them to farm in the best possible manner and they did, too.
Probably their greatest collective achievement being the ongoing development
of Murray-Goulburn Dairy Co-op.
Can you imagine how farmers would progress today if they had access to long
term (55 years) low interest loans (2.5% interest plus 1% sinking fund =
3.5%). Please don't tell me to move into the real world ... FINANCE is man
made and MANIPULATED to the detriment of not only farmers but any small
business, the environment and anything that impinges on it.
I see "over supply and glut" in a starving world as "under consumption and
poor distribution" and the suggestion that producers should, as follows
>>>THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION YOU SHOULD HAVE ASKED IS HOW TO COMBINE AND
GET THE MILK PRICE UP? Do you mean form a "cartel" ... which is illegal in
Australia!
The Goulburn-Murray Valley is or was, the foodbowl of Australia now we have
many orchardists, dairy farmers, vegetable growers and graziers all
experiencing difficulties through loss of overseas markets and competition
from overseas.
Question; Why should New Zealand apples be dumped in Goulburn Valley (should
read Australian) shops to undercut local growers with the attendant risk of
disease import? It's not just apples, dairy produce, frozen vegetables and
much else is on the list.
Australian farmers are also burdened with bureaucratic red tape and added
costs which are impossible to pass on because farmers are price takers
rather than price setters. As for political action from dairyfarmers ... if
all the dairyfarmers in Australia were in the one electorate they still
would not have the voting strength to worry the sitting member.
Sure, we have paper millionaires around here but they work like hell just to
maintain it and the smallest reduction in milk prices would very soon change
that... much of the innovation today is driven by the primitive urge for
survival rather than cultural enhancement.
I will finish here but if ever you had the time I could tell you first hand
how farmers made a good living off 47 cows, farms had two years supply of
hay on hand, there was little abuse of the environment through water use,
stable family relationships were the norm and business in rural towns
flourished with little difficulty of fielding a football or tennis team on
Saturday and churches had large congregations on Sunday..
In other words it was "Heaven on Earth" which is not the case today ....
can't we learn anything from history?
Regards,
Lou.
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