Then why a couple of years ago did bananas cost so much?
Quite simple. Almost the entire northern crop was wiped out and, bananas are such a staple food, the high prices actually got a mention in the CPI at the time. Importing bananas is just to risky.

I don't like the fact that we prop up our farmers as they often whinge if it rains then whinge if it doesn't. I just hate to see people taking cheap shots at our farmers when they are under presure to compete with the un-regulated farmers from OS.

EVO I agree with you, in fact, I think globalisation is what is going to be the eventual killer of our world. In just a mere 30 odd hours one can travel from one side of the globe to the other.

Another issue that is overlooked is the age of our country. We are just 200 odd years old while some of our imports come from counties that are thousands of years old. Many diseises have been there for centuries.

Someone call 000, rehctub's going to need the re-sus cart...

Oh dear, there's always one, isn't there!

Now getting back to Aussie pork.
Our pigs are grown and processed under strick conditions, and that's a fact. We have some of the highest levels of compliance in the world when it comes to meat production. This is something you should be proud of and offer your consumer support to.

I couldn't agree more about potentially infected imports. Australia's prosperity is based in large part on our disease-free status, which we've worked hard to achieve. Throwing it away is like throwing away capital and that's always a dumb idea.

The truth is that I don't know the origin of the pork I consume. I can't make a conscious decision to support Australian producers, because I don't know which is their product and which is imported.

EVO I agree with you, in fact, I think globalisation is what is going to be the eventual killer of our world. In just a mere 30 odd hours one can travel from one side of the globe to the other.

Another issue that is overlooked is the age of our country. We are just 200 odd years old while some of our imports come from countries that are thousands of years old. Many diseases have been there for centuries.

REHCTUB. Your not wrong, and I agree that Australia should be more self-sufficient and rely more on commonsense than the hunt for greed.
( and just to add) its nice to see good threads like the one,s that have started elsewhere. For me, silences is agreement. On another point, soil toxicities are another main concern for me when importing produce, I think most people know the alarming statistics that are available to most consumers. The aircraft industry and shipping in order of pathogens, is an easy highway and the most hardest to monitor.
I hope they learn this quickly. But again, greed wins the day.
Blogging is one way of communication but not always the best. It's a hostile environment on the Internet plains and lions with there salivating mouth viruses can contaminate the entire pride, and should be quarantined as quickly as possible.
Have a nice Sunday.

EVO

rehctub you and I often disagree but on this issue I wholeheartedley support your comments.

One of the biggest concerns with globalisation and FT is that we really lose control of the quality and integrity of our food chain. As imperfect as it might be here, we don't often know what we are getting in from OS.

Different labelling laws (GMOs, additives), the use of certain pesticides, disease control, environmental vandalism, poor industrial relations/OH&S and production techniques are all taken out of our hands. No manner of inspections on OS factories or productions can take the place of strong internal guidelines in countries where governance is stronger.

In China many of the factories inspected are what can only be politely called 'front' operations. The shadow factories that exist behind the scenes do not always comply with the standards expected by the importing country. The melamine incident in China is a good example of potential risks for consumers.

Evo:"Geez, I hope never, and jumping to conclusions from the media and such, just makes the matters worse. I also think movies can give us a little insight into the future which can assist us."

Or lead some to jump to conclusions based on how a film, with similar events, turned out. I was kind of looking foreward to barricading the house and buying a gun and you're spoiling it for me Evo.

"Just for the record, I would ban most food imports, not just for our farmers sake, from which our government neglects on a shocking level, but most importantly, to keep the micro world from others countries well OUT. But what people don't understand is what you pay for is what you get, and over seas food growing practices are hardly exseptable."

Wouldn't that upset the farmers? Not banning imports but the backlash of other countries in turn not accepting their product? What makes Australian practises better than other countries?

To keep the micro world out we'd have to cease all travel. Boats from overseas (watching national Geographic the other day) bring amazing amounts of foriegn creatures to our shores. Maybe countries should only have "buddy" countries, similar in practises with packaging etc - Oz would pair up with NZ?

Still wouldn't have got us any bananas. No I don't know why I have the banana thing stuck in my head. I suspect if it had been a hurricane vs wheat disaster the gov. would have immediately imported flour.

""Then why a couple of years ago did bananas cost so much?""
"Quite simple. Almost the entire northern crop was wiped out and, bananas are such a staple food, the high prices actually got a mention in the CPI at the time. Importing bananas is just to risky."

NZ imports bananas, arn't they concerned about something - banana flu? I think NZ has even been populated for less time than Oz..? It was a shame that your average Australian couldn't afford this "staple" at the time.

Actually back to how long a country has been around, I'll need the relevance explained to me. Was it meant as a land mass, populated by humans, bird migration, when McDonalds arrive?

"I don't like the fact that we prop up our farmers as they often whinge if it rains then whinge if it doesn't. I just hate to see people taking cheap shots at our farmers when they are under presure to compete with the un-regulated farmers from OS."

Probably because droughts and floods bum them out big time aye. Who took a cheap shot? Okay so please explain (you'll get a lot of this, I know nothing really about how the world works) why they are required to compete with overseas markets.

The 'nana farmers weren't when their crops failed for whatever reason.

"We have some of the highest levels of compliance in the world when it comes to meat production. This is something you should be proud of and offer your consumer support to."

Believing you is one thing but I cannot commit an emotion like "being proud" let alone open my wallet on just anyones say so. Are you crossing your heart, hoping to die and telling me beyond any shred of doubt that in the whole of Australia I will not find dodgy farmers working for corporations or exporters cramming in the bacon to make a buck? Or beef, or chicken, or mutton for that matter.

Who polices this and who pays them?