Monday, June 06, 2005
The Canberra grants love in - its all working so wonderfully well, except we are screwing the country and its people >
Emergency summit for vegetable growers
11:29 AEST Sat Jun 4 2005
AAP
Australia's peak vegetable growers body will hold an emergency summit this month as the national industry reaches crisis point.
AUSVEG, which represents 4,300 vegetable growers, said decisive action was needed to save the nation's $2.6 billion vegetable industry.
The announcement follows disastrous news for Tasmanian farmers, who have lost an estimated $77 million worth of pea and potato contracts in the past two weeks.
AUSVEG chairman Michael Badcock said Western Australia's cauliflower and carrot industries had also suffered major cuts.
"The situation has reached a flashpoint in Tasmania," he said.
AUSVEG board and industry representatives met with government officials in Canberra this week to discuss the plight of the industry.The summit, to be held in Melbourne on June 30 and July 31, follows a commitment from federal Agriculture Minister Warren Truss to work with the industry to resolve its issues.
AUSVEG chief executive officer Euan Laird said the situation was "absolutely desperate".
He urged the government to help farmers now, rather than waiting until a bailout package was necessary as it had with the sugar industry.
He said the advent of free trade agreements had produced an unlevel playing field for Australian farmers, who were forced to compete within strict regulations.
Country of origin labelling was also a major issue, he said.
Emergency summit for vegetable growers
11:29 AEST Sat Jun 4 2005
AAP
Australia's peak vegetable growers body will hold an emergency summit this month as the national industry reaches crisis point.
AUSVEG, which represents 4,300 vegetable growers, said decisive action was needed to save the nation's $2.6 billion vegetable industry.
The announcement follows disastrous news for Tasmanian farmers, who have lost an estimated $77 million worth of pea and potato contracts in the past two weeks.
AUSVEG chairman Michael Badcock said Western Australia's cauliflower and carrot industries had also suffered major cuts.
"The situation has reached a flashpoint in Tasmania," he said.
AUSVEG board and industry representatives met with government officials in Canberra this week to discuss the plight of the industry.The summit, to be held in Melbourne on June 30 and July 31, follows a commitment from federal Agriculture Minister Warren Truss to work with the industry to resolve its issues.
AUSVEG chief executive officer Euan Laird said the situation was "absolutely desperate".
He urged the government to help farmers now, rather than waiting until a bailout package was necessary as it had with the sugar industry.
He said the advent of free trade agreements had produced an unlevel playing field for Australian farmers, who were forced to compete within strict regulations.
Country of origin labelling was also a major issue, he said.
