Forgotten farmers?

Updated August 27, 2013 19:05:00

As the election campaign crosses the continent there is widespread belief in the bush that farmers have been forgotten. Issues such as foreign investment, coal seam gas and the supermarket price wars have largely been ignored by the major parties.

Source: PM | Duration: 3min 29sec

Topics: federal-elections, rural, australia


DAVID MARK: As the election campaign criss-crosses the continent there's widespread belief in the bush that farmers have been forgotten. Issues such as foreign investment, coal seam gas, and the supermarket price wars have largely been ignored by the major parties.

Our reporter James Glenday has been travelling through country seats following The Nationals. He stopped at a rally in Queensland, where farmers want a minimum price on milk.

(Band performs Farmers Feed Us All)

JAMES GLENDAY: The town hall in Esk is covered in mock supermarket posters and slogans such as Stop Milking Us and Coles Downs Aussie Farmers adorn the walls.

JOHN COCHRANE: I wonder to myself, is rural Australia worth anything to our federal politicians? Surely we must be, but we haven't heard peep at this point.

JAMES GLENDAY: Dairy farmer and chairman of Premium Milk, John Cochrane, has gathered more than 200 people to rally against the current price of milk. He says the supermarket price war is killing the Queensland industry.

JOHN COCHRANE: When you have two supermarkets has 82 per cent of the grocery trade, it is far too much power. They've dropped the milk only because they could.

JAMES GLENDAY: The group wants federal politicians to add 10 cents a litre to the retail price of all fresh supermarket milk which would then go directly to the farmer.

Brian Tessman from the Queensland Dairy Farmers Organisation says he also want a mandatory code of conduct between the National Retailers Association and the dairy industry.

BRIAN TESSMAN: Across the board I think farmers are looking for a lot more out of all the parties. They earn Australia still so much of its export income, and I think they really need a better deal out of the nation that they do so much for.

JAMES GLENDAY: That's a common concern right across the country.

As the election campaign enters its fourth week, there's a belief among many in the bush that regional Australia has been forgotten.

In Rockhampton, they're worried about beef prices.

ROCKHAMPTON LOCAL: Put it this way: everything's too expensive and we're getting 1970 prices for cattle.

JAMES GLENDAY: In Katherine, the cost of doing business:

KATHERINE LOCAL: Cost of fuel, cost of freight, just general rising costs of our inputs is a big issue for us.

JAMES GLENDAY: And in northern New South Wales a key concern is money for regional infrastructure.

NORTHERN NSW LOCAL: I'd swing either way depending on what are they going to offer the bush?


JAMES GLENDAY: At a clearance sale in Esk, retired farmer George Russell is deeply unimpressed with both parties.

GEORGE RUSSELL: What we need is somebody to stick up for the farmers. I only hope Abbott will do it.

JAMES GLENDAY: Do you think farmers have been forgotten at this election?

GEORGE RUSSELL: Have they ever! I don't think Australian governments want farmers any more. They import every bloody thing. I listened this morning on Macca. They only got three truckloads of pineapples a bloody week going out there, when there used to be semi-trailer loads.

JAMES GLENDAY: Back at the rally, the dairy farmers are hopeful of action before the election.

The Nationals and Katter's Australian Party are promising mandatory codes of conduct for supermarkets and industry leaders have been in negotiations with the Agriculture Minister, Joel Fitzgibbon.

DAIRY FARMER: If we don't do something soon, and if we don't get some politicians to do something, there'll be no dairy farmers left.

JAMES GLENDAY: The farmers are promising more placards and protests if their voices aren't heard.

(The Farmers Feed Us All plays)

DAVID MARK: James Glenday reporting there.