Terje, you argue that if farming is just a lifestyle then it should not be subsidised.

However, because it is a lifestyle’ farmers put in huge effort, they work long hours, and try to look after their land as best they can. They provide seasonal work for a number of local people; or harvesting is done by sub contractors. Where harvesting is done by sub contractors, it doesn’t matter about the size of farms as long as farms are in close proximity to one another.

Small rural communities are becoming less and less viable and small farms provide an employment base helping small communities survive

Having grown up on farms and been a farmer for the first 39 years of my life one has a close bond to the soil and the life it produces and supports. Ask any devoted gardener what they feel about their garden - yes it is a lifestyle of pleasure and pride, but it is more.

To quote, "Terje, you argue that if farming is just a lifestyle then it should not be subsidised."

Farming is the very production of food that we all need to sustain life on this planet. This essential need must be protected and nurtured. If farmers do not survive, humanity itself will not survive.

Farmers are receiving prices for their goods they received 20 years ago because of imported food dumpimg. Do we expect them to survive on incomes similar to Thialand and China, while sharholders in large Supermarkets increase their incomes. Imported products must have a wage equalisation tarrif applied otherwise Australians will be working for the same wages as from the countires that Supermarket chains import. These tarrifs could be administered by the Government and redirected back into the developing countries thus placing our produce on equal price footing while assisting developing nations.

Australian farmers are among the best in the Universe. Unchallenged!

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and we create employment, reduce dole queues, retain the wealth within our country. Only new materials and primary produce grow wealth for our Nation, everything else is merely the circulation of the same money.

I grew up on a farm but now I live in Sydney. Sydney imports nearly all its food. Maybe we should have some Sydney centric patriotism and stop importing food into Sydney. I could make a lifestyle for myself growing vegtables for market in my garden if only the councils would subsidies me enough. Even if we did not elliminate food imports into Sydney perhaps we could at least become a little more self reliant

In regards to the potatoes (and other vegies) left to rot in the paddocks - farmers could get some of the costs associated with producing them back buy selling them as livestock food. Not oats and pasture I know but something for the starving stock in drought affected areas.
Out Broken Hill way, they do the same thing with onions deemed to big and small for the supermarkets.
I'm no sheep but potatoes must taste much better than onion - and they scoff the onions down.

t.u.s

Greg I don't want extra special protection for spud farmers on the north west coast of TAS.

I'm not for quarrantine manipulation or tarrifs. The north west of Tas is however the best soil in the country and I think it would be a travesty to turn that land into pine plantations which is something already occurring.

I am a consumer and I want to make an informed choice, its my cash so when I go into a supermarket to spend it I should be able to see the origin of the fresh fruit and veg, not a sticker on each spud but clearly identifiable product. At that point I can decide if any extra cost for local produce is something I am prepared to wear.

I think it is not that hard for the supermarkets to have produce origin listed when they display price per kilogram.

McDonalds is free to do what it pleases within the laws of the country regarding sourcing food. When it comes to Chips (or Fries as they are trying to get us to call them) the mark up is obsecne. Even if they doubled what they currently pay per kilo it would have to be far and away the best mark up on any of their product range.

Mc Donalds should not be forced to use Tasmanian spuds fair enough, But if that's the way they want to go then they have a real nerve trying to associate themselves with all things Australian. I'm starting to think the shameless adds with a digger they play each year around ANZAC Day are forgetting about the first A in ANZAC.