* but they can only do that because no one counts the cost of their damage as part of the production costs*

Ah TBC, like other Australians, you would have ridden the merino
into the ground, to achieve first world status in Australia. It
didn't come from mining. Fact is, without farmers, you would likely
starve and be living in a third world banana republic.

Indeed,farming is not natural, hunting and gathering is. You are
free to grab your loincloth and have a go, remembering 7 billion
other humans wants to be fed as well. You might run out of berries :)

Today's farming methods are far more sustainable then they were
some 30 years ago.

Unless you want to try organic. They have to cultivate the hell
out of soils to kill those pesky weeds, so soil tends to blow
or wash away. People pay them extra for that.

What's this? A banana republic? Is this what rechtub fears?

Yes, I did say we need farmers, and so we do.

But we need a little honesty too.

And, like all business people, that is in short supply.

My only real concern here, is that our author really does not believe in any forms of 'socialism' in other threads, and that is what s/he proposes in the post.

It is nonsense.

*But we need a little honesty too.
And, like all business people, that is in short supply*

Hang on TBC, I know some extremely honest business people.
I also know plenty of highly dishonest ones, not in business.
So I think that you have your wires crossed there.

As to Rehctub's post, I don't think that there is any
deep thought out philosophy there, he's just having a whinge
and stating his opinion, as he's entititled to, on OLO.

Yabby, I am not having a whinge, I am simply making a suggestion.

In any case, if I don't wish to pay the highly inflated price, then I go without. No problem.

I was merely suggesting that perhaps the farmers that were not effected and, as a consequence are 'making a killing' could support their 'mates' and relieve the tax payer so that we may assist other areas of need.

every farmer is under a diffrent growing scheme with their foods , no matter what it is, , the farmers will always find they suffer a diffrent elimante of life , through out dissarsters , of weather, , but all should be compensated for their loss from the goverment , as this is the food that is keeping our country going , and for all us families surving with food , if it were not for the farmers we would all die of starvation,

what will everyone eat if their is no farm food produces or animial produce

from a real forgotten australian

The level of discussion in this post is disappointing and achieved nothing. It simply reveals the chasm between urban and rural Oz.

The reason farmers can't bond together is that it is illegal. Two farmers cannot legally collude to set a joint price for their produce - the ACCC so decrees. So the organised few will always control (dictate to) the unorganised masses. The big duopoly will always be able to screw their farmer suppliers. Any advance in technology or efficiency will always be harvested by the market(er) - not the farmer who developed the technology or efficiency.

Farming is no longer an enjoyable endeavour - so even its 'lifestyle' has become questionable - it now has to be suffered because a lot of capital has been invested to generate (on average) a 2+/-10% return.

The future will be farmers as lessees to corporations which will then control production systems, marketing and prices. Let's see what this forum will have to say about that situation when it develops.

In the meantime have a bit of sympathy for those who cannot control their own destiny, who work very hard - and contrary to a strong element in this thread - are the least subsidised producers in the World.