19 May

It’s worth remembering that what we call farming has its origins in settler culture, which in turn derives from aristocratic landholding in the UK and Europe. Sometimes called a squattocracy, because the origin of nearly all farmland in Australia was outright theft of the land, by settlers acting as squatters. The struggling cocky is a triumph of PR. ABARE farm owner income averages below. This after all farm costs are considered (it’s not farm income, it’s farm owner income). Our farming neighbour would buy a new BMW or Mercedes every year. This doesn’t even include accumulated wealth (as opposed to income) that accrues to farmers as holders of large acreages, usually running into the millions, nor does it include the near slave labour employed on many farms (visa holders of various kinds), to keep costs down. The inevitable comeback is ‘well, if you want to eat’…over 70% of our agricultural production is exported, for profit.