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  • Agribusiness calls for relief on fuel prices

    “And businesses will not thank governments for further complicating GST calculations by removing it from the excise component.

    Fuel excise was brought in originally to ensure that fuel was priced at a level which ensured that Australian motorists paid ‘world’ price and that proper conservation of the resource occurred.

    The tax was also intended to encourage more efficient fuel use and support the development of viable alternatives.

    “When the GST was introduced, excise was reduced, in part, to compensate for the new tax, and, in part, to replace the state fuel taxes,” he said.

    Mr Crosby said various Governments have rationalised the tax mix in many ways over the years, including making road-users pay their way.

    “The problem with this logic is the value of the excise has grown to some seven times the value of expenditure on our roads,” Mr Crosby said.

    “A reduction, or even elimination of the excise can be justified on the grounds that the world market for fuels has passed any reasonable level that may have previously required some Government intervention to check demand or encourage alternatives.”

  • Media misses the point with Fuel Watch fiasco

    “Fuel Watch at best could make a difference of one or two cents. If we can increase transparency and get rid of uncompetitive practices, reducing the price by one or two cents, then it is worth doing. The Greens are open to being convinced that it will do so.

    “But Fuel Watch, fuel excise and the Cabinet leaks are a major distraction. They are chicken feed compared with the underlying driver of the rise in oil prices.

    “People out in the real world realise that Brendan Nelson and the Prime Minister’s initiatives were both overtaken in a single day by the oil price rise last week. If oil goes to $150-$200 a barrel, one or two cents is not going to make an iota of difference to those struggling to pay fuel costs to get to work.

    “The only thing that will make a difference in the real world is providing alternatives to driving. Until other options are available, Australians will have to keep paying through the nose for polluting fuels to keep them stuck in traffic.

    “Mr Rudd, Dr Nelson and everyone else should be looking at investing serious funds in mass transit, fuel efficiency and alternative fuels, not just having a political brawl in Canberra.”

  • Small, organic farms the future says Peak Oil analyst

    Among the implications for agriculture he identifies the following.

    • Gigantic highly petro-chemical dependant, broad-acre monoculture farming will slowly disappear from the agricultural landscapes of the world.
    • The European, Japanese and Korean opposition to including there own agriculture in free-trade negotiations will be vindicated as international food trade declines in the face of rising fuel cost and slower less reliable transportation.
    • Real cost of food will rise.
    • Total world food production thence supply will fall!
    • Despite all the best good-will in the world, less practical / food aid will not be available to famine victims around the world, because there will be just less food, and with slowing transportation getting relief quickly in quantity to any given destination will inevitably become implausible.
    • The growing of cereals will switch from the strategy using a monoculture of some annual crop variety (plants that only last one season, then must be replanted the next year again from seeds) to fields growing a permanent mix a few different perennial (plants that produce for a number of consecutive seasons) crops simultaneously.
    • Farm sizes will decrease to smaller more manageable family size concerns.
    • Organic farming will grow in popularity as petro-chemical input cost rise.
    • Altogether new (perennial) plant species genetically engineered by public universities in the developing world will be tightly targeted to roles like;- fighting desertification, food provision on marginal land or hostile tropical climates.
    • Australia’s live sheep trade to the Middle East will decline as;- fuel cost rise, slower shipping necessitates more en-route cost to maintain animal health during longer voyages.

  • Farmer of the year reveals secret

    He said the competition had opened many doors for himself and “Yulgilbar”.

    “While I was the one recognised in this award, I remain indebted to the family that is ‘Yulgilbar’ – the people who keep the operation going on a daily basis,” he said.

    Mr Sinnamon made the comments when introducing “Yulgilbar’s” division managers, stockmen, maintenance workers and handymen at a field day at the property last week.

    The third-oldest operating Santa Gertrudis stud in the country, “Yulgilbar” is owned by Sarah and Baillieu Myer, of the Melbourne-based Myer department store fame.

    It was the relationships between property owners, their manager, and staff, that made Mr Sinnamon’s entry stand out in a competitive field last year, according to NSW Farmers Association president, Jock Laurie, who also spoke at the field day.

    The $10,000 competition is promoted by four organisations that aim to move agriculture ahead in NSW: the NSW Department of Primary Industries, the NSW Farmers Association, the Royal Agricultural Society and The Land.

    Mr Laurie said the competition highlighted “terrific industry stories out there in NSW”, allowing people in the city to appreciate where their world class food and fibre products came from.

    He said successful farmers were not uncommon, but while it was “easy to be confident in your own kitchen” it was those able to succeed in a new environment and “get out there and sell their ideas” who were the greatest benefit to the industry, he said.

    More than 200 people turned up for the “Yulgilbar” field day, which featured trade and stock displays and speakers on everything from equine influenza to making silage.

    Entries for the 2008 Farmer and Young Farmer of the Year close on June 9. Application forms are available from www.dpi.nsw.gov.au or www.nswfarmers.org.au.

  • Egg producers crack under fuel price pressure

    From The Land 
    Victorian egg producers have warned that egg prices will have to rise if fuel costs continue to soar.

    The Victorian Farmers Federation Egg Group president, Brian Ahmed, said rising fuel prices were eating into egg producers’ earnings.

    Mr Ahmed said the egg industry was already a victim of the factors leading to rising food prices.

    “Producers have been forced to absorb much of the historic highs being experienced with grain prices, which represent over 50 per cent of input costs,” Mr Ahmed said.

    “Now on top of that we are being hit with these fuel price increases.

    “Something has to give or egg production just won’t be viable. Unfortunately consumers may be facing an increase in egg prices sometime soon if fuel prices keep going the way they are.”

    Mr Ahmed said the drought continues to pressure primary producers throughout Victoria and it seems the increased cost of fuel will have to be passed on at some stage to consumers.

    “The alternative is we will have very limited numbers of farmers left and that is in no one’s best interest,” Mr Ahmed said.

  • NSW Hemp Bill due for second reading

    The Industrial Hemp Bill is due to come before the NSW parliament for it’s second reading this month.

    The bill has been introduced by the Minister for Primary Industry, Mr Ian McDonald with support from the Greens and some National members. Other conservative politicians are concerned about the impact hemp farming may have on the policing of marijuana crops.

    The Bill brings NSW into line with Queensland and Victoria and has been developed after consultation with the police and relevant authorities. The legislative review committee of the NSW Parliament has identified that the licensing provisions of the bill are unusual because the minister makes all licensing decisions and they are not subject to judicial review.

    The review committe also expressed caution regarding the rights of inspectors to enter properties and take samples of the hemp crop. These issues will be discussed during the second reading of the bill.Â