Yes, and not only does the Farmer buy at retail prices, sell at wholesale prices, but with the introduction of the metric system, they made his farm smaller and put it further from town!
And the gas tank bigger and much more expensive to fill.
We live in a wide brown land, that's marked by drought and flooding rain!
The only way to ameliorate this is with the creation of upland, myriad small dams, which force water into the landscape, vastly improve fertility, force the salt table lower, and allow some water to still flow, 2 or more years into a drought!
Farmers must also adapt, climate change can only ever get worse!
Some farmers may continue to prosper by planting and harvesting earlier.
Earlier planting may be assisted by biodegradable clear film, trapping heat and critical moisture?
Others may survive, with fodder factories, and feed lots or trial things like, salt, frost and drought resistant native wisteria, which provides both bio-diesel, ex crush high protein meal for the feed lot fish or fowl farm, and much greater productivity!
Traditional farming ought not be conducted in the Murray/Darling Basin, which nonetheless, would quite massively prosper, if the only crop grown, was oil rich algae, some of which are up to 60% oil.
Algae only require 1-2% of the water of traditional irrigation!
Algae absorb 2.5 times their body-weight in atmospheric carbon, and under optimized conditions, quite literally double that growth, absorption capacity, oil content, every 24 hours!
Extracting the ready to use bio fuel, is as simple as filtering out some of the product, sun drying it and crushing it! It's not rocket science!
The ex crush material may be suitable for fodder, or ethanol production.
The only thing missing here, is a govt replete with visionary leaders, willing to reroute welfare for the rich, (around 26 billion per) to where it is genuinely needed!
Mainly as dams and practical assistance to reconfigure production paradigms, essential infrastructure; and brand new farmers co-ops!
Rhrosty.

Is it possible for Online Opinion to detail the Federal and States governments' long term plans for "Food" for the common good of Australians (and as part of our contribution to needy people in other countries), rather than for commercial profit, and compare this to the "Peoples' Food Plan" promoted by the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance? http://www.australianfoodsovereigntyalliance.org/peoples-food-plan/

Maybe there are journalists who have done work on this.

Bob Simpson
The Australian Media Engagement Project (AMEP)

Agriculture is a business like any other. It would be an even better business if those people who think the taxpayers should "support" them were to leave it. Those remaining (about two-thirds) would thrive.

There might be a drought in Qld right now but there isn't in Victoria or Tasmania. And next time there's a drought in Victoria, Qld will be fine. It's always been that way. Get over it.

I find it a bit strange, in that it is my understanding that agriculture in places like America, the UK, Ireland, receive larger amounts of government help than the farmers here in Australia.

Wolly
you are right, most countries subsidise and protect their farm sectors more than Australia. That doesn't make it right, though.

Davidl,
<<Agriculture is a business like any other. >>

How wrong you are.
Agriculture is outdoors and subject to all weather.
How can that be like a business in an air conditioned office not impacted by weather?