With 2018 drawn to a close I felt it would be appropriate to reflect on a couple of issues that have severely impacted agriculture in the north.
Veg management laws have once again placed a huge question mark over agriculture in this state, and has impacted on all aspects of sustainable, value-adding management practices that are so badly needed, given the challenges facing our industry.
For the moment, it is what it is, but as an industry we have to remain vigilant and seize any opportunity that presents itself that will strengthen the case for better outcomes in this arena.
Our industry is in an untenable position because of these law changes and we have lost the ability to have a voice in the decision-making process.
Cost of production versus return on product never seems to go away with escalating costs associated with labor, fuel, and electricity being the main drivers.
A few short years ago the northern cattle industry was calling for $3 a kilo to service debt burden and drive production. It is my belief that the debt burden has not changed a great deal but the cost of production has certainly escalated.
Without increased returns of up to $4 a kilo, this gap will widen and add increased financial pressure to primary producers across the board. This would also bring us into line somewhat with global competitors.
We are already seeing that long-term employment opportunities for young people are diminishing and short-term options for itinerants are becoming the norm for cattle enterprises.
This type of practice is leading to a diminishing skill set base, adding pressure to an aging generation of producers.
Add in the impending closure of Longreach and Emerald Pastoral Colleges and the ever-increasing trend to centralise service provision to either Brisbane or major provincial centres, and conjecture only increases that in the eyes of this current government, regional and rural areas do not rate highly, despite what they say.
What needs to happen is for more discussion around long-term employment, career pathways, and incentives for young people entering into our industry.
This is an industry problem and needs industry leadership to identify where the changes can be made. Young people deserve better security around long term employment and career paths and we as an industry are wasting so many opportunities by not encouraging and mentoring those whose passions lie within our industry.
The rise of social media as a platform to address issues impacting our industry has been effective for drought support, wellbeing issues, and for fire and flood updates.
But it also has a dark side where it is used to discredit how we as an industry operate.
As Peter Lewis has alluded to in this column, social media is one of our industries’ best allies and we must get better at promoting what we do well and use it constructively to dispel misinformation that has negative connotations.
– Barry Hughes, Gulf Cattlemen’s Association