Plan to help vegie growers hit by imports

The Australian: Plan to help vegie growers hit by imports:

"A RESCUE plan for Australia's struggling vegetable growers is to be considered by the federal Government, amid warnings the industry could be wiped out by imports within five years."

It may have been Independence Day yesterday but for us there was a far more important event....my sister's birthday! We went out for a great meal in one of the many local restaurants. The atmosphere was warm, convivial and the food was great. We did, however, get to some of the more serious issues on the agenda like the Live 8 concert and our food induustry. We have had great food in Australia and we have grown up knowing farmers and people who run fruit blocks, so the plight of potato, orange and what farmers gets to us. We were talking about how our orange juice was getting imported oranges into it and then the situation in Africa. We came to the conclusion that we were probably rich enough to be able to pay a higher price for things like juices and not to have to need the subsidised and cheaper alternatives and then maybe they could go the way of African farmers so that they could come onto the market with competitive prices. It's like the generic debate. We have a need for food for everyone and we have a need for premium food as well. We have the sort of world where many people just need a proper diet and then we have a world where people can afford to pay top dollar for high quality exclusive produce. We also have the middle tier who can afford some pretty good food and some good products at good prices. Fresh food is paramount. Local food is the best fresh food but then we can import things from other places when the seasons are different. Seemed to us there was room for everyone as long as there was an overview as to how this was occurring. We need to avoid duplication, we need to avoid subsidising when there is no need and we need to supply infrastructure so some places can have lift off. We need a plan!