Hannaford Stock & Land » rural industry

Over the Fence – 9th June 2010

admin — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 01:43:19 +0000

Further to the devastating news from Japan in relation to the foot and mouth disease outbreak, some of the figures that are emerging are quite startling.
Over 200,000 animals have been destroyed since March, with a 150,000 of those being pigs. Apparently one of the country’s prized Wagyu herds is still intact. This certainly brings back the absolute need for our quarantine authorities and federal government to lift their game to the highest priority. One would not wish to think about the devastation that could be reaped upon our National herd. Just the economic cost, with figures between 9 and 12 billion, plus the International reputation to our clean, green, disease free food would be irreparable.
The fact that the Government is refusing to provide an additional $260 million per year, recommended by it’s own quarantine review panel, makes you wonder where their real priorities are in this time of throwing money around in all directions…….except ours.

Over the Fence – 3rd March 2010

admin — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:16:59 +0000

Great talking with a few of the old timers the other day, about all things Rural, bureaucrats and international trade. My constant whinging about the lack of quality decisions made by our bureaucratic establishments who are controlling our Beef Industry is made up of the following. The flurry of overseas beef imports from countries with BSE problems, the demands of the bureaucracy in regards to our land management and the basic lack of knowledge by our “Masters” of the practical abilities to survive in today’s agricultural industry.
Then it was suddenly like a little light going on amongst the three of us, as if we had found the overwhelming problem to all the above issues. As one old fellow said to me, “the biggest trouble with most of the people who have their degrees, sharp suits and fairly extreme wages, is that not one of them in their lifetime would know how to grow a blade of grass, let alone manage things like animal health, fencing, pasture development and the ever present bank manager”.
Quick as a flash I replied, “We ought to get one of you blokes to have a crack at these top jobs”. It was as if I had dropped a grenade, as they headed to all corners of the earth, mumbling under their breaths “I haven’t got time for all that bureaucratic rubbish” !
Maybe this is our real problem !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Over the Fence – 17th February 2010

admin — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:12:53 +0000

It is a good sign that the rural industry is really starting to hurt and following on from the protests in Canberra over land rights, is the Forum to be held in Armidale on Feb 27th. This is in regards to the performance of our red meat industry organisations, being led by the Bindaree Beef Pty Ltd.
With costs of close enough to $10 per head, just in levies, many in the industry are asking ”are we getting any bang for our buck?”. The main concerns appear to be of the use of Peak Councils, Red Meat Advisory Councils and other organisations such as the MLA which appear to be eating up funds at an alarming rate with little to show in return. An example being the blowout of the MLA’s budget from $96million to $160million whilst in real terms, cattle prices are 20% lower than those paid twenty years ago.
Another fact being that the per-capita beef consumption has continued to decline at a long term rate of 1.7% per year.
Is it a fact that we have too many fingers in the pie with very little results showing any marked increase in sales or consumption?
Any people wishing to go this forum, please contact me at the office, as I feel we need to get these questions answered or maybe reformed.

Over the Fence for the 23rd December 2009

admin — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 04:28:53 +0000

Interesting reading this week, about anyone who employs people, especially in the Rural industry, of a case in regards to an OH&S issue that has gone to the High Court, with a positive outcome for the employer expected before Xmas.
This particular case involves a farm manager who, when riding a quad bike, avoided going down a perfectly good road, and instead went over a steep incline whilst dragging pipes behind him. Unfortunately this person was killed and the full weight of the OH&S laws were applied to the owner who was nowhere near the incident. This particular case has been going for eight years and has cost the employer in excess of a million dollars to defend.
The employee had exceeded the capabilities of the machine and had had prior training when they had taken delivery of the quad. The case has now been argued to the High Court whereby the presumption of guilt by the employer has been questioned, with him also receiving a criminal record.
These draconian laws in cases like this now look to be considered along the lines of the “Reasonable Forseeability Test”, which basically means that these actions cannot be predicted in any shape or form by the employer. We all know that in agriculture especially, it is a dangerous workplace, but, there are some things that we cannot predict (ask one who knows!!!!).
This is now becoming a major factor in whether we employ people without the already acquired skills which means, how do the young fellas get a go…….

Over the Fence – 14th October 2009

admin — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 22:20:26 +0000

It was interesting reading this week an article on the importance of Agriculture not only to the Australian economy but also to the number of people employed either directly or indirectly because of it. Australia’s 208 billion dollar Agricultural sector feeds more than 60 million people worldwide and employs more than 900,000 people.

The main reason I am more than interested in this latest splash of figures is that my constant whinging about Commodity prices and lack of return to the producers certainly doesn’t read well for the future as the world’s population grows.

Once again the loss of young farmers from the Land and the carrying on of that “Bred-In Practical Knowledge” will make a huge impact in the future to our Industry as the years progress. Maybe a little bit of forward thought by our Politicians, Supermarkets and Public in general, who have access to some of the best produce in the world, is needed to secure the future of Food Production in this country.