farming families need to use collective bargaining power to suceed in today's markets.

50% are probly telling porkies because their wives probably work to support their farming habits or they recieve govt assistance.

Family farms and rural communities will rapidly erode if GM crops are allowed to contaminate seed banks. To those who are blind to this fact need to wake up before it’s too late.

If we lose the family farm, we lose another part of our national identity. Why do you think European nations and the USA are so single minded in support for their agricultural sectors? It’s not only from a trade perspective. They understand the importance of preserving a rural identity to underpin their national identity. As a comparatively young nation what is going to underpin the Australian national identity? Multiculturalism? That stands for everything and nothing. Give me a break. That's the Clive Hamilton collective agenda at work befitting the current situation in Russia. Not for Australia please. We are Australian first and a democracy.

Lastly, marketers are fond are fond of trotting out Man from Snowy River themes and the like to promote this and that but the city/country divide is greater than ever. The debates about agriculture's role in the dubious climate change arguments, ETS, future land use and over reglulation are never heard in mainstream debate except to denigrate the rural sector. Keep in mind the "Peter Garret Line" that will determine who farms where and what in this country, an agenda also supported by the Greens. Couple that with all the noise and little action at both State and Federal levels about the state of the river systems. What have they done so far, the States and the Feds? Buy back some water? Big deal! Places like Cubbie Station will rub their hands together and go “You beauty, send her down Penny!” What about the closed door reviews of Exceptional Circumstances; what about closures of agricultural research facilities (keep in mind while I write this that the Feds have a $20 billion surplus); what about the pursuit of free Trade Agreements at all costs with countries like China that are completely lopsided in terms of competitive advantage due to (for a start) the woeful imbalance of labour rates between the 2 countries; what about our produce rotting on the vine, ground or tree due to farms not able to negotiate directly with workers on individual agreements or lack of incentive provided by government; what about the Trades Practices Act not creating enough competition in the retail grocery sector allowing independent farm operators to be screwed down to below cost of production for their produce; what about the rising trade imbalances in food imports where food grown for example in China is fertilised with human faeces and sold in this country's major food retailers; what about the fixed report on the grocery sector released by the futile ACCC that says all is well in the production and supply chains from farm gate to plate; what about the demise of the family farm to be replaced by the conglomerates like Macquarie Bank who will put productive farm land to plantation managed investment schemes; what about the conglomerates who will send our food overseas to chase premium markets at the expense of the Australian consumer while the government allows increasing levels of imports from other nation's agricultural sectors and food standards we have no control over?

This is not an exhaustive list. We now have a situation where Australia is now a one party state. Think about that and think where is the dissenting voice? Who is standing up for agriculture? Think about how prominently rural and agricultural sectors feature in that Party's schemes given their blame game rhetoric and lack of action. Think about the electoral redistributions west of the divide that fruther dilutes the voice of the rural sector. We lose the family farm, we lose our identity, our checks and balances to determine our food furture, standards and safety and we lose the best gatekeepers of the environment, our farmers and country people who have direct interest in miantaining a sustainable environment.

This trend has been evident since early settlement stabililised with the exceptions of post WW1 & WW2 with war settlement blocks. (1pc per year)

This trend has been evident since early settlement stabilised, with the exceptions of post WW1 & WW2 with war settlement blocks. (1% per year)

The policies which have been generated by the NFF with their flawed university educations and espoused by the major political parties over the last twenty five years are taking Australia rapidly back to the social structure of medieval Europe. We will have a very small elite who live the life of royalty off the backs of the rest of the people.

From an environmental perspective, losing farming families is a disaster.

Our primary production base is being aggragated into ever larger blocks of ownership, corporate farming is becoming the norm rather than the exception. Economic rationalism is winning the battle with an ever increasing ownership of our food chain by global companies. With them, the bottom line is growth. Without growth there is no profit. With growth and profit as the driving force, environment and lifestyle come way down the chain of importance.

Sooner or later it will end in tears - in a finite world it is impossible to maintain infinite growth.

And bear a thought for the families who leave the farm. Some go into futureless work for the multinationals who purchased the property, others move to the city, joining the steadily growing populations of our major centres.

Our cities just as our farms are under increasing pressure. Consumer expectations of four or more bedroom homes with all the luxury trappings have seen explosion booms of housing in many areas resulting in loss of bushland, urban traffic congestion and increasing demands on water infrastructure. When are people going to learn? You can't keep pushing the boundaries of your own personal space without eventually hurting everyone around you, either indirectly through escalating environmental damage or directly by the cycle of corporate greed.

I was intrigued by Denita Wawn's comment: "... but what's important is the land mass has remained the same." It is always good to know that noone has come and cut off a big chunk of Australia!!!

Then again ... what about erosion???

It never ceases to amaze me ... the uncomprising ability of these pseudo politicians to state the obvious ... totally missing the point ... Thankyou ...

Family farms and farming are an integral part of Australian culture now and in the past.

Yet most farming families are under tremendous stress, and do not receive the same type of support or investigation as other business sectors.

Farming overseas enjoys large subsidy and support, and in order to compete the point is the same amount of support should be offered to farming to ensure this business and social areas stay alive and thrive.

Hearsay says that a number of farmers in trouble are being bought out by overseas buyers hiding under Australian names. What will happen when we wake up and look around at our food growing areas and find out we as Australias no longer own them or can produce our own food?

The future lies in communicating with the urban areas and ensuring people understand the reality of life in farming and the importance of the farm and country communities for Australia.

It is too easy to say out of sight out of mind.

Give farms and country towns the same type of attention and support other business sectors receive to stay viable.