Editorial: Fire Sale to Combat Drought

FARMERS beware the main advice I see emerging from the new “eyes and ears” of the state government on the drought is likely to be to sell up.

While agriculture underpins the national economy it is increasingly distanced from the hearts and minds of politicians of all persuasions in favour of a city-centric model of business.

Elizabeth Flaherty, editor.

Instead of farmers selling up to foreign interests, perhaps the Australian government should invest in Australian agriculture?

But instead the government seems to be increasingly divesting themselves of agriculture.

In 2013 the New South Wales government took away the last of the drought subsidies in favour of telling farmers to be smarter and prepare for drought.

But preparation only goes so far and once you are in the grip of a drought, where to then?

Apparently, the Premier is lost on this point too and decided to hire “eyes and ears” to explain what is happening and what should be done, to the outcry of a raft of government and not-for-profit groups who have been trying to explain and have been ignored.

I fear the impending advice to the Premier was formulated before the appointment of Ms Pip Job was even announced and will be what they want to hear in Macquarie Street – sell off the farm.

There have been other whispers of banging the “farmers need to be smarter” drum recently with solutions such as encouraging farmers to use artificial insemination (AI) to preserve their breeding stock before they are sold off.

Sounds great in theory, but first there is the expense of the AI, then when it rains other farmers up and down the east coast will need to buy cattle to impregnate – because baby cattle don’t come out of a petri dish – and then those baby cattle need to grow up before production can get swinging again which may take years.

Instead of ideas on how to make “smarter farmers” perhaps we need “smarter politicians” who actually understand agriculture.

They could speak to their counterparts in a raft of other places which value agriculture such as the US, the UK, Europe and even China all of which readily invest in and support their agricultural sector. (See: Letter: “Yanked” Drought Assistance.)

The difference is, those countries value agriculture, they don’t view agriculture as a liability to be sold off during tough times.

If there are no incentives for Australian farmers to keep farming and no support from their government then Australian agriculture will only head down one path, with foreign interests buying our farms when things get tough.

The focus for stopping foreign ownership should not be on tightening laws to prevent it, but at the grassroots starting with smarter politicians who pass laws which support and invest in Australian agriculture.

Elizabeth Flaherty
Editor of scone.com.au

Related Stories:

• Premier Announces Eyes and Ears – May 14, 2018.
• Premier’s Plans Changed – May 14, 2018.
• Farmers Not Museums Need Help – May 9, 2018.
• Restrictions Applied at Worst Time – March 14, 2018.
• Farmers Speaking Out – March 13, 2018.