Australian agriculture and business's are slowly being wiped out from cheap and dirty competition from overseas.The Government are to worried about the diplomatic sides instead of looking after their own back yards.

Put illegal entry asylum seekers straight to work as farm labourers paid in full by the Government. Seeing as how as is they have medical expenses, accommadation, food, clothing, shelter, access to education, all provided free of charge compliments of us Australian taxpayers.

So mandatory detention is a humane solution hamr? The fact is without the mining boom Australia would be an economic basket case. How can farmers compete with the money a TA mining labourer can earn.
Ts hard to see how the typical family farm can survive one hit after another re droughts, floods, dualing duopolistic supermarkets, some of the most pervasive OHS laws to contend with, more & more regulation as well as environmental compliance issues.
Even the conglomerates appear to be struggling, think Elders, Aus Agri Company, although presently the sheep farmers have somehow sprung up out of the abyss, so if that can happen maybe there might be some glimmer of hope or divine intervention to hold on & out for.
One thing is for sure , unless farmers become much better educated then ts hard to see how the future of the industry as a whole will stand up to the test of time re-viability & ability to compete in an increasingly competitive global market.

I think we have priced ourselves out of this country. The mining boom has taking away all the workers and sons and daughters from the farms. The government should give farm workers a cheap rate and tax benefits to help keep us here.

Looking on the bright side, farming could well turn out to be the ultimate boom sector after the current mining boom comes back down to earth as the rest of the much cheaper emerging producer countries catch up & take over from Australias' head start.
After all, looking at gold, iron ore, copper, coal as an example of as good an investment as has proven to be, when it comes to the real crunch, gold, you can't eat it, it won't light your house or run your car.
So thinking of all the billions of mouths to feed in the now & as far as can be imagined future, what could only be the most desirable resource all the worlds people will not be able to do without, something, anything to eat- FARM PRODUCE ts not too hard to believe is it? So you better believe it.
Farmers are sitting on the gold mines of the future, have no doubt about it.

Quoting rob:

"Australian agriculture and business's are slowly being wiped out from cheap and dirty competition from overseas.The Government are to worried about the diplomatic sides instead of looking after their own back yards."

I'm not sure that its only "overseas" threats that are slowing eroding aussie farmers; the latest milk, eggs and chipping potatoes pricing and supply issues in the domestic market by processors are an example.

However, I don't believe that our farming representatives work in a co-ordinated approach to tackle the import issues. Why isnt food security pushed more via the media!! It comes and goes in a reactionary response to an outbreak of contaminant or disease in another country, but "HELLO" we still import other foodstuffs from these countries. Are we so naive to think that they will poison their own and not us?? Since we are being legislated out of existence, let's start using the system to our benefit. For example - increase the base limit of 5% of imported food tested as per the Food Standards Code, to say, 25% across the board. Yes that may increase the price of the goods (so sad) and slow shipments, but not only would AQIS need more employees (!) so higher employment, but I'm certain consumers would be much more aware of the toxins and contaminants when purchasing foreign food. For eg: Peanuts, garlic & root foods from China & India.

As for the Govt being less than competent in protecting our existence, we REALLY need to get ourselves into occupations where we can influence change, ie. DERM, EPA. Rather than encouraging study in Ag, lets push for legal & environmental careers for our children, and a future in George St and Capital Hill.

Finally to comment on Yofus "farmers are sitting on a goldmine of the future" - I fear that we may very well IMPLODE before that happens. It will take a crisis for a turn-around to occur, perhaps it will be No Farmers, No Food.

Unfortunately Rob in Australia we do not have any farming organisations who truely represent farmers most are far more interested in protecting their salaries than truely representing farmers views.

Back in the old days there was a strongly held belief that Primary Producers were the BACKBONE of the country, present governments & even the general city folk consensus may well ignore the past at our own future peril.
Good on the likes of good ole Bob Catter & Barnaby for at least doing their level best to properly stand up & speak so heart-feltedly for & in the best interests of the Primary Producers of the country.

The governments most effective strategy has for the last thirty or so years been to divide & conquer, much to the detriment of Primary Producers ability to help themselves as a united voice to influence decisions made which affect all & sundry.

Maybe we need to get rid of all the polies out there and put in some farmers who really care about the country, Lets put it this way they can't do any worse than the clownsrunnign the country and pissing in there own pocket. They don't give a rats razo about people on the land, ""carbon tax"" , load of bullshit just another way to grap a few dollars of the working family.

Hey there all we would all have to say there is great discussion happening here. Lets keep going motivating and encouraging great people to come here toghether and create policy and maybe we will be able to fix some problems hey. I beleive the Government has allot to do with the yes and no in this country. They can change the path easily. Charging for water and rain and that we only own the top 30 cm of our farms is BS we need to fight and all come together to put this crap to an end. Some little weed sitting in the aircon office in the city making up all this BS wheres your proof. Just like how the big companies are aloud to use these preservatives in our food and not have had sufficent testing. Am I right????

We have created this website for all. Not ourselves I believe in the future but if we dont all come toghether and brainstorm and have freedom of speech we cant fix anything. Enough of sitting on the fence. Its time to jump into the water and cross the rough river and help change Agriculture. I beleive we can here because numbers mean support. We are not getting it anywhere otherwise. This is for all not an individual or ego. We are proactive, this is the begining of something huge. Meetings nationally, protests and support will come. Im sick of the Hotair BS we need real action and support. If we keep going none of us will have a future and there proof showing with most lines all been imported. We need our own government or party that can get it done not a few that have blabbered there mouths for years and dont get anywhere.

You dont have to be apart of a growing group or commitee if your a small business or man or woman on the land please come and be apart of something that will encourage change.