Pelican, you have seemingly been working in Canberra for too long.

I make one precise point of many which I could have made, to prove
your claim wrong. In response, I get a heap of generalised wha wha.

Now I could go through point for point and prove many wrong. But
even on this obvious point, staring you in the face, you will not
concede that you are wrong.

Now I repeat again, not all the best meat is sent overseas.
Australians have first pick of the best meat, if they wish.

Pelican, forget the wha wha and come clean. Concede defeat on
this point, your claim was wrong.

What claim Yabby. You are making wha wha on a claim but fail to say which one.

I don't think your views will ever change Yabby, I don't expect them to and I suspect if there was even an inkling of doubt in your mind over some of the FT fallacies you would not concede it. However, out of interest you might be interested in reading outside your usual diet and digest some of the problems inherent in FT, hence the link previously. Go on, I know you can do it. :)

PS. I have not only lived in Canberra during my life but methinks you need to get out of the backblocks of rural WA for a little while.

*Local prices have meant paying more for less than prime cuts of meat within Australia while the best meat is exported. *

The above was your claim, Pelican.

Thanks Yabby, you did not state which claim previously - I am alas not a mind reader.

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/australia-should-look-to-its-food-security-before-all-the-farm-is-sold-20101013-16jyw.html?comments=67

http://www.nff.org.au/commodities-sheep-meat.html

According to the NFF 50% of sheep meat is exported - do you really think it would be the worst meat that would be sent offshore in a global market? If you look at meat exporter websites (like Floreat) you will see they claim to export only the best meat.

I have been around long enough to see the quality of meat go down but the prices go up. Lamb, mince and sausages used to be the cheap meat not so now and the best meat goes OS - the pressures of the international market demand it. You said yourself not so long ago "why shouldn't the US consumer have access to the best Aussie meat".

Since I have been buying meat the only meat that reduced in price is chicken. It used to be a delicacy or a treat when I was a kid - maybe that was just us but I suspect not.

Have a trawl through this and take your FT hat off for one minute.

http://www.tradewatch.org.au/

*Thanks Yabby, you did not state which claim previously - I am alas not a mind reader.*

Pelican, I stated exactly the same point, on December 14th, if you
check. You missed it, it seems. Nothing to do with reading minds.

As to your tradewatch website, that would be akin to going to
the Vatican website, to find out bad things about the church. Your
site is hardly unbiased. I try to find less biased and more
intelligent sources, for my information.

*If you look at meat exporter websites (like Floreat) you will see they claim to export only the best meat.*

They are flogging meat dear. They are hardly going to write, that
they will be sending you crap.

Fact is sheep are cut up into a myriad of cuts, all go in different
directions, to the best paying market. The Japanese usually buy
shoulders, the Chinese and South Africans buy things like flaps
or ribs, cos they are cheap and we don't eat that stuff.

The point of it is this: There are many local only butchers, they
have access to the best cattle and lambs, selling their meat only
in Australia. The Australian public can buy from them if they wish.
So your claim was a furphy, that was my point.

*I have been around long enough to see the quality of meat go down but the prices go up.*

Yet all the evidence shows that the quality of lamb has been going
up, that is why so much more is being sold. More specific meat
breeds, less fat, more tender due to understaninding of glycogen
levels, etc, at slaughter, less cold shortening due to better
technology. In fact the Americans are now turning to Australia to
learn technology, about improving the quality of lamb which they
produce. Things like Lambplan are being adopted by them.

Yes, chicken is cheaper. Today its mostly industrial chicken.

Ah so the meat exporters only flog the crap stuff? Why did you in another thread some time back insist the Americans had a right to the best Australian meat? You seem to have forgotten that comment it appears.

My reading is much wider than you think Yabby and I have seen much in the way of manoueverings and negotiations in government - one of the reasons why I had to get out - some of it was sickening and what I would consider a betrayal of the Australian people.

However, I happen to hold a particular viewpoint and you another. I suspect you have not read anything but that which supports your view - that is your right.

If you want to believe that FT is as pure as the driven snow with no ill effects nothing I can say will dissuade you - we will as always have to agree to disagree.