Food security in Australia
How important is food security in Australia?
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
We should all be thinking about this question, because government policy is seriously hindering our ability to grow food for Australians and the rest of the world.
Food production across large parts of our food bowl, in the Murray-Darling Basin, is well below capacity and we have food processing plants operating well below maximum production and therefore costing our nation jobs and valuable export dollars.
This is all occurring because governments have tried to implement a flawed Murray-Darling Basin Plan and have refused to make necessary adjustments which provide equally for the environment, economy and people; as was always intended and promised.
Food producers need urban support to convince politicians, who are scared of losing “green” votes, that we need to find the right balance between water allocations for the environment and productive use for our future food security.
Help us deliver this message because at the moment we’re failing.
Robert Danieli
Kyabram
Take responsibility
The Daily Advertiser of Friday, November 27 headlined and featured an article in regard to a problem a traveller had in regard to travel insurance and a visa problem.
I have travelled extensively to and in many overseas countries over many years so I understand some of the problems that can occur.
As this person was a 77-year-old man, I would have thought that he had the ability and responsibility to check that all details of the travel arrangements, insurance policy and visa requirements were correct before accepting, paying for and travelling on this trip.
It would appear that the travel agent did make a mistake.
I know for a fact that all details including the person’s date of birth are shown on travel insurance documents that the customer would have received before his travels commenced. I also know that it is quite simple to check visa requirements for all countries.
I would ask why this traveller did not check arrangements himself and why he along with many others always blame someone else for the problems they encounter. Surely one must bear some responsibility for their own actions.
Laurence Kelly
Forest Hill
No grasp on reality
The tragic deaths and devastation of homes, crops, livestock and fences caused by the fires on the lower north plans of South Australia seem to be already being blamed on global warming.
Earlier in the week I heard Dr Tim Flannery directly connect the fires with global temperature raises.
While I would never dismiss the science community on climate change, I do become concerned when every fire across the nation seems to be blamed on warmer and longer seasons.
If one looks back over the last 50 years, one would notice that farming practices have changed dramatically.
Livestock numbers grazing has fallen significantly, no till practices have replaced ploughed fallow paddocks.
The massive increased use of fertilisers adds even more crop material. Even the increased use of herbicides has led to more material in crops.
All up, these changes have created a totally different environment to the past, to blame climate change is to deny looking at reality.
Vincent Dowd
Ramco Heights
- Do you have something to say? Send your letters to the editor submissions to letters@dailyadvertiser.com.au