NSW hay carting

www.weatherzone.com.au/news/nsw-governme...ected-farmers/528315

Something that I can not understand with this hay carting is why the whole nation is rallying behind the farmers with donations and the price of hay has doubled. Freight rates have not changed so a cynical person might think farmers in a position to do well are price gauging other farmers to get a cut of the donation pie?

Lang

haven't checked last few days, but I kinda reckon the hay price is only just back at about where it should be relative to production costs, reasonable profit margins etc.
It has been very low for quite a few years, to the point where many had not bothered to cut hay.

I could say "I rest my case" but I know little about the economics of fodder production. I suppose you should make hay while the sun shines and get your profits back up when customers are desperate for your product. Supply and demand.

Lang

Lang wrote: I could say "I rest my case" but I know little about the economics of fodder production. I suppose you should make hay while the sun shines and get your profits back up when customers are desperate for your product. Supply and demand.

Lang

The whole world works on supply and demand

Just think it wasnt very long ago there was huge abundance of feed in most of these badly affected drought areas and hay was dirt cheap, almost to the point you voukdnt give it away

Perhaps a wiser person would have stocked up on cheap hay then and made as much hay on farm as they could

My old farming books from the 50's state very clearly that stocking numbers shouldn't be increased until there is enough feed stored on the farm to full feed your live stock for two seasons

I bet very few if any of the people in the poo did anything even close to this

Paul

Paul

I think the thing the population sees is people in desperate straights (for whatever reason) receiving all sorts of government and public support while others in their own industry are milking the situation. I have no doubt that many of the ones now taking advantage have received government and public support at some time in their lives when the tables were reversed.

It is a sad situation for the families involved but what about the thousands of families relying on the income from the farming community in their country town businesses. Their demise is directly as a result of how the farmers handle the drought and as in flood, they get far less or no support and are told it is not the government's role to subsidise small businesses. How many small-town businesses have gone under with families losing everything and many driven to suicide?

Farming is nothing more than a business and we should be supporting the whole community which is an homogeneous unit. Farmers need the trucking companies, stock and station agents, baker, engineering shops, mechanics, fuel supplier, supermarket, chemist etc as much as they need the farmers. The story of without farmers we would starve would take 75% of Australia to cease production. Supply and demand - prices would rise, production in other areas increase to take advantage and people would modify their consumption.

Yes, get the feed in to keep the herds viable, but get the general cash, counseling, loans to the whole community who are treading water together. We should be supporting not just the farmers but "The Bush".

Bugger! Just fell off my soap box.

$444,000,000 could have gone towards some of those services Mr. Lang.

This came across my phone yesterday , dunno how much of it's true or not true but it's doing the rounds of face book and some people have started checking facts and figures and so far it's stacking up

So if you feel inclined to support farmers maybe just have a quick read all the way to the bottom line and see which charity gives the highest percentage for what its intended

Paul

STRANGE ALLEGATIONS SURFACING ACROSS SOCIAL MEDIA re drought charities


Not all is as it seems with Buy a bale.
Not all the money goes to the farmers, nor even to getting the hay to the farm, but last year saw over $350,000 go directly to the organisations FIVE employees.

Buy A Bale is a part of Rural Aid and is owned and operated by Charles and Tracy Adler of Acacia Ridge, Queensland. It was formed in 2015.

It has five employees, one of whom is Tracy Adler, a director.

In the last financial year Rural Aid spent $354,744 on employee assistance. (Five employees)

They spent $40,941 on administration.

They received $917,492 in donations as well as $29,907 in government grants.

They paid "suppliers and employees" $886,622 (my underlining)

Another big boy is Aussie Helpers, owned by Brian and Nerida Egan of Charleville, Queensland.

Aussie Helpers has six directors listed, and no employees listed on its financial report.

Its revenue was $2,290,119 and it spent $80,302 on employee benefits expenses, $126,927 on office administration and a further $390,407 on "other expenses" while spending $191,590 on assistance to farmers.

The organisation has also spent up big, and holds over $2.5 Million in property, plant and equipment, and is presently sitting on $6.2 Million in cash in the bank.

So, all is not as it seems with some of the big players.

Then you have bit players such as The Need for Feed, Lions, Drought Angels where every cent is spent in getting hay to the farms.

Wow! As one of many who “hit his kick” to donate to drought relief through a local supermarket (who have publicly pledged to match dollar for dollar), some of the above figures had left a sour feeling in the mouth! I probably don’t have a great grasp on economics, but for me something just doesn’t add up here if I run my eye over the donations pledged compared to the actual. $$’s given to those so desperately in need. Joe & Joan Public could quite readily equate with what’s going on to some of those mismanaged (deliberately or otherwise) overseas famine relief schemes which people are shying away from in droves. OK, I suppose everybody is entitled to make a quid, but profiting through others misfortune?? This gets around and now when times are tough for a lot more besides those on the land as well as those businesses that support them , I can well see a case of those donating will have second thoughts. I hope that I will be proved wrong!! Dave

Dave_64 wrote: Wow! As one of many who “hit his kick” to donate to drought relief through a local supermarket (who have publicly pledged to match dollar for dollar), some of the above figures had left a sour feeling in the mouth! I probably don’t have a great grasp on economics, but for me something just doesn’t add up here if I run my eye over the donations pledged compared to the actual. $$’s given to those so desperately in need. Joe & Joan Public could quite readily equate with what’s going on to some of those mismanaged (deliberately or otherwise) overseas famine relief schemes which people are shying away from in droves. OK, I suppose everybody is entitled to make a quid, but profiting through others misfortune?? This gets around and now when times are tough for a lot more besides those on the land as well as those businesses that support them , I can well see a case of those donating will have second thoughts. I hope that I will be proved wrong!! Dave

Dave I do hope we are proved wrong , but the best way to make sure the hay or the money spent gets to those who you think are in need of it is to go out into the crook areas and give the hay your self

Or even for those of us that travel about grey nomad style , stop in some of these areas, spend some money in the little towns battling, buy your groceries and fuel in these little towns
Even if your still driving trucks and passing through these areas stop at the one horse towns and buy your meal there instead of a road house

I reckon just by 10% of us doing these small things it would make a big difference

Gotta remember country people ,like most Australian's are a pretty proud bunch and might not enjoy taking hand outs but will enjoy the extra business


Just some thoughts


Paul