Here is a topic for IceBlue to give us his slant on the Industry!
Up here in Qld, Dairy farmers around Gympie and Bundaberg are under increased pressure because of the low prices received for their milk.
Now John Howard deregulated the dairy industry and offered incentives for so called inefficient dairy farmers to quit the industry. Pauls was the company where nearly all Qld farmers milk finished up.. They just can't compete when Supermarkets W & C sell their milk at $1 a litre while Pauls is at $1,70. Some of us Queenslanders still buy Pauls milk but alas the demand is weakening as people struggle to make ends meet.
Now John Howard placed a levy of 10cents a litre on milk to pay for the reconstruction scheme..As far as I know that levy is still on and I think it now goes into consolidated revenue.
Now obviously Victoria has the market sown up with W & C sourcing all their cheap milk from that state to sell at all their outlets Australia wide.. They don't have to worry much it seems about transport costs.
OK all is fair with interstate trade (section 92 Aus Constitution) but the danger if ever mad cows disease broke out in Victoria means that there will be no viable dairy industry left in Qld or NSW.
National Party MP Barnby Joyce is calling for urgent action to save the Qld dairy industry..He has stated that he doesn't care about past history of the dairy industry in recent years but something has to be done.. Do we revert to every state supplying their own citizens with their own milk..
They only solution is for the government to regulate a fair price for all farmers at their front gate but that stinks of Socialism.
Maybe the Qld government should reintroduce free milk into all primary schools just as it was in the 1950's. Maybe the Federal government could go halves in paying for it. A Win Win situation for the children and for the farmers.
Now here is an isuue that means something to many country people, lets see if Tony or Kevin raise this issue.
I know Ice Blue is a dairy farmer but I wonder is ther any more SS members who rely on the dairy industry for a living.
Don't expect much reaction to this thread from city members for its good to get you milk cheap but at what price to the future of dairy farmers?
Regards Errol 43
Up here in Qld, Dairy farmers around Gympie and Bundaberg are under increased pressure because of the low prices received for their milk.
Now John Howard deregulated the dairy industry and offered incentives for so called inefficient dairy farmers to quit the industry. Pauls was the company where nearly all Qld farmers milk finished up.. They just can't compete when Supermarkets W & C sell their milk at $1 a litre while Pauls is at $1,70. Some of us Queenslanders still buy Pauls milk but alas the demand is weakening as people struggle to make ends meet.
Now John Howard placed a levy of 10cents a litre on milk to pay for the reconstruction scheme..As far as I know that levy is still on and I think it now goes into consolidated revenue.
Now obviously Victoria has the market sown up with W & C sourcing all their cheap milk from that state to sell at all their outlets Australia wide.. They don't have to worry much it seems about transport costs.
OK all is fair with interstate trade (section 92 Aus Constitution) but the danger if ever mad cows disease broke out in Victoria means that there will be no viable dairy industry left in Qld or NSW.
National Party MP Barnby Joyce is calling for urgent action to save the Qld dairy industry..He has stated that he doesn't care about past history of the dairy industry in recent years but something has to be done.. Do we revert to every state supplying their own citizens with their own milk..
They only solution is for the government to regulate a fair price for all farmers at their front gate but that stinks of Socialism.
Maybe the Qld government should reintroduce free milk into all primary schools just as it was in the 1950's. Maybe the Federal government could go halves in paying for it. A Win Win situation for the children and for the farmers.
Now here is an isuue that means something to many country people, lets see if Tony or Kevin raise this issue.
I know Ice Blue is a dairy farmer but I wonder is ther any more SS members who rely on the dairy industry for a living.
Don't expect much reaction to this thread from city members for its good to get you milk cheap but at what price to the future of dairy farmers?
Regards Errol 43