Thanks to Agmates member Sue for bringing this to our attention. It is a curious Rural Press article and I love the way they describe OUR Agmates Community as a “niche online chat forum“

“Angry comments that were confined to a niche online chat forum less than 10 days ago have now spilled onto the mainstream website, farmonline.com.au, owned by Rural Press.”

You make up your mind who is niche and who is mainstream.

Last Sunday we ran the post: Joyce Fronts Turnbull – I’ll Split The Coalition which attracted 109 comments from 33 members – plus one comment from our Agmate member Barnaby Joyce.

The same time – farm online ran virtually the same article (which was just a reposting of and article out of the The Sydney Morning Herald – farm online and the SMH are both owned by Fairfax) – Titled Coalition split by end of the year with a big photo of Barnaby. The farm online article had 16 comments from 14 people (2 of whom are Agmates members).

Lets look at the two stories and the break up of people and comments.

Agmates – 33 members – 109 comments.
Farm Online – 14 people – 16 comments.

State by Sate – Agamtes – Farm Online
QLD …………………..18……………… 2
NSW ……………………7……………… 8
VIC …………………….7………………. 1
SA ………………………1………………..2
WA ……………………..1……………….1

Total people…………..33……………14 (* 2 of these were Agmates members)
Total Comments……109……………16

Plus every member who commented on Agmates got a personal message of thanks from our fellow member Barnaby (by way of comment). See comment here

The farm online site is the one web site for The Queensland Country Life (QCL), The Land (NSW), The Stock & Land (VIC), The Stock Journal (SA) and the Farm Weekly (WA). They put next to the commenter which state publication they came through.

Obviously Rural press is not proud of the conduct of its online forum. They insinuate that the bile and vehenm that is on their forum came from Agmates – Click here to see the Rural Press forum in question.

“Angry comments that were confined to a niche online chat forum less than 10 days ago have now spilled onto the mainstream website, farmonline.com.au, owned by Rural Press.”

This comment is a joke. Have a look for yourself at the Comments on Agmates Community forum they are referring to. See here.  Every commentator has their real name visible and a photo.

Then go and have a look at the bile and invective that spews out from the faceless nameless crew on the rural press forum. See here

Make up your own mind which one is the trashy niche chat room.

Is it our privately owned – voice of the real people Agmates community or is it the multinational corporate owned media giant Rural Press ?

Word of advice for Rural press. When you try and discredit the Agmates community you are actually trying to discredit hundreds of people who used to be your loyal readers, because Agmates is the sum total of our members. You demean our community , by virtue you demean our members.

Who knows, like me in protest many of those members might just decide not to spend the $3.40 a week on your newspapers anymore. Then try explaining that to your advertisers as your circulation falls.

Oh wait, isn’t that a problem they are having at the minute … hhmmm I wonder why?

Thats not very smart Mr Rural Press.

END

Have Your say.

Alan Jones of radio 2GB Sydney has conducted two very good interviews this week. The first was with Lord Christopher Monckton on Monday and the second was with Professor Richard Lindzen.

Click on the player to listen to the interview.

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Please email this article to everybody on your contact list.

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When the  National Farmers Federation was formed in 1979 it was the first time in the history of Australian Agriculture that Australia had a single peak farm lobby group.

Its useful to look at a brief history of farm organizations in Australia.

From the Book Surviving Global Change – Agriculture Interest Groups in Comparative Perspective by Professor Darren Halpin.

Chapter 7

“Digging Deep to keep their Clout” Agriculture Interest Groups In Australia

(Page 141)

The 1970’s were a period when the Whitlam and Fraser governments were embarking on their policies of trade liberalization. To achieve these aims both governments set about dismantling of almost 6 decades agriculture exceptional ism associated with state supported Agriculture.

The biggest challenge for government in achieving their radical reforms was the militant farmer resistance to their reform policies from the various state farm organizations and commodity groups.

The brilliant solution the Fraser government found to its conundrum was the formation of the National farmers Federation.

Page 141

The formation of the National Farmers Federation’s was the key to successive governments being able to drive trade Liberalization as fast and as far as they have. The day the NFF was formed Australian Agriculture and ordinary farmers were hijacked by the Agricultural elite.

Page 149

The National Farmers Federation was never established to reflected the voice of the average farmer – it was from the beginning established by and for the Agriculture elites of Australia, masquerading as the voice of all Australian farmers, when in reality it is the mouth piece of the agrarian elite.

Not only has it never listened to or lobbied for the majority wishes of its members but has actively worked to crush any grass roots farmers dissension.

Page 150

That pain has not never been born by the agrarian elite – it has been born by tens of thousands of family farmers across Australia that have been forced off the land in the last 30 years that the NFF has driven the free trade agenda. They have been merciless.

Page 150

Thats correct, not only don’t the NFF listen to its members it actually urges governments not to listen to them either.

To maintain their dominance the NFF have co opted governments to support their message and marginalized and isolated any individual farmer who have tried to speak out. These strategies have worked so well over the past 30 years that farmers being forced off the land because they cannot compete in the economic environment created by the agricultural elites of the NFF are looked upon by the industry as having failed.

“Get big or get out” has been the mantra they have created. What it should be is “Get as big as us or you’ll be forced out.”

Page 150

The NFF from the beginning has never listen to its members. It is an elite organization set up to represent the interests of the agricultural elites of this country to the great detriment of family farmers and rural communities across this nation.

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Further expanding on my post The National Farmers Federation Revealed :

The office bearers of the NFF and the Commodity Councils are the delegates appointed by the the State Farming Organizations from the State Farming Organizations. ….. the office bearers are SFO delegates and the NFF is fully funded by the SFO’s.

So as a farmer if you are talking about the NFF you are actually talking about the SFO’s who “club” together as a “federation” to deal with issues that cross a single state border.

NFF Borad members – From the NFF web site:

The NFF Board comprises the NFF President and NFF Vice-President, along with five Directors, all elected by the Members’ Council. Two independent Directors may be appointed by the Board, as required

David Crombie President June 2006 to Current

2001 – Current Deputy Chairman Listed Property development Group FKP

2007 – Current – Director of the Australian Government Board of Export Finance Insurance Corporation

Current – Commissioner of Australian Government  Centre for International Agriculture Research

Current – President of the Queensland Rugby Union.

2000 – current Director GRM International (Packers Consolidated Group)

1998 – 2005 Chairman of Meat & Livestock Australia

1995 – 2000 Board member of Grainco

1994 – 2000 Managing Director of GRM (Consolidated Group)

Mr Crombie operates family properties, breeding and finishing cattle, as well as growing crops in southern Queensland.

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Charles Burke Vice-President June 2004 to Current

Current – Vice-President and Treasurer of AgForce Queensland

Current – Chairs the AgForce Rural Business Committee.

Mr Burke manages a family cattle property ‘Stanley House’, situated on Lake Somerset in the Brisbane Valley, South East Queensland.

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Bill Bray Director

2004 – 2008 President of the Cattle Council of Australia

Involved with the Victorian Farmers Federation for the past 25 years.

Mr Bray runs a mixed beef and sheep property in the Gippsland region

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Nick Keatinge Director

Nick has been involved with the NSW Farmers Association for 30 years.

Last year he was awarded the NSW Farmers’Association Medal of Honour for his long standing commitment to the ideals of the Association.

Nick, is a beef, lamb and wool producer on the South West Slopes of NSW.

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Andrew Broad President Victorian Farmers’ Federation

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Alf Cristaudo Chairman Canegrowers

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John Cotter President AgForce Queensland

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Charles Armstrong President NSW Farmers Association

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Members’ Council -

from the NFF’s web site

The Members’ Council is the supreme consultative forum for the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF).

Made up of all 16 state farming organisation and commodity council members, as well as Associate Members, of the NFF, members are appointed by their respective organisations.

The Members’ Council elects the Directors and officeholders (President and Vice-President) from nominations received from members, and determines:

* the key priorities for the NFF’s Strategic Plan;

* determines policy on issues or positions that are outside of the guidance previously agreed

Members council Represenatives

David Crombie – President, National Farmers’ Federation

Charles Burke – Vice-President, National Farmers’ Federation

Nick Keatinge – Director, National Farmers’ Federation

Bill Bray – Director, National Farmers’ Federation

John Cotter – President, AgForce Queensland

Wes Judd – President, Australian Dairy Farmers

Mark King – President, Australian Dried Fruits Association

Ian McIvor – Chair, Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council

Alf Cristaudo – Chair, Canegrowers

Greg Brown – President, Cattle Council of Australia

John McKillop – Representative, Corporate Agricultural Group

Joanne Grainger – Chair, Cotton Australia

Roy Chisholm – President, Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association

Charles Armstrong – President, NSW Farmers’ Association

Les Gordon – President, Ricegrowers’ Association of Australia

Kate Joseph – President, Sheepmeat Council of Australia

David Gatenby – President, Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association

Andrew Broad – President, Victorian Farmers Federation

Mike Norton – President, Western Australian Farmers Federation

Don Hamblin – President, WoolProducers

Many farmers believe the NFF to be a separate organization of which their State Farming Organization ( SFO’s) is a member. Indeed this is a misconception that the NFF and SFO’s and the Commodity Councils foster amongst farmers.

To be accurate it should be call the National Farming Organizations Federation or NFOF.

END

Have Your Say.

This is an urgent alert to every Australian farmer who has farm debt. The source of this information is our Agmates member St Botolph, who for professional reasons writes for Agmates on the guarantee of anonymity. The information  has been checked, verified and posted by Agmates Editor Steve Truman.

Right now across Australia as a result of poor commodity prices, poor seasons and a tightening credit market 1,000’s of farmers are in deep financial stress and are feeling isolated and overwhelmed as a result of their farm debt. This information is intended to help all of them and those that do not even realize they have a problem – yet. Now for St Botolph’s post.

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Farm Finance ALERT

The farming industry in Australia has reached breaking point, lenders in our farming communities have ignored the long term commitments and loyalty that farmers have given them over many years.

It is amazing to think that when farmers are cashed up how much additional money is thrown at them by lenders seeking to make huge profits from additional lending.

With farmers still in the midst of the biggest drought ever, lenders and investors are calling in farm debt to invest the money elsewhere.

The conduct of recovery of farm debt by a number of rural lenders in an increasing number of recent cases is  at best immoral and at worst illegal. Using intimidation by way of threats and demands these lenders have railroaded some farmers into complying with their “on the spot” demands without farmers first seeking appropriate legal advice or the time needed to refinance.

Farming families are being divided and in some cases separated leading to divorce action because of the pressures and demands of some lenders.

The hatchet men from these lenders have no morals and will go to any lengths to recover  farm debt  by selling farm assets at any costs no matter what the result through the appointment of receivers managers or mortgagee in possession sales. As a result of such action, huge shortfalls in asset realization are being recorded. Then to put the boots in even further Lenders are proceeding to bankrupt farmers.

This is happening right now across the country as I write.

IT MUST STOP NOW

Practical Advise to all farmers

Take one day off, sit down with your family take a serious look at your true financial position as it stands today. Do not be fooled by misleading bottom lines, but focus on your farm debt.

Review who your lender is and how long you have been with them.

Think about your last meeting with your lending manager, do you recall any changes? Ask yourself the following questions -

1. Have we been restricted from any further borrowings?

2. Have we been asked to sell plant or land to reduce our farm debt level?

3. Have we received any letter reducing our overdraft limit?

4. Have there been any request for further security ?

5. Have we been asked to provide additional cash flows ?

If you answered YES to any one of those questions  you must and I stress, must look at your term loan agreement.  These are unprecedented times  and a YES answer is a sign of immanent trouble.

In most cases your term loan will be 5,10, or 15 years. A term loan is your mortgage agreement.

Most overdrafts are reviewed each year.

Right NOW there are lenders using annual overdraft reviews as a trigger to call in ALL loans.

The interest rate on your term should be less than your overdraft but in some cases may be the same.

If your farm debt loans are ready to expire – be very careful. You must approach your lender at least 6 months before and discuss your over all roll over options. Do not take for granted that it will just roll over.

Do not ignore letters that call for farm debt reduction or reviews of your loans. If you have received such a request you should act NOW.

Seek professional advise from you account, lawyers or rural consultant who understand Rural Lending. Do this early. Do not wait until the receiver turns up at your farm to evict you before you reach out for a professional to assist you with farm debt mediation. By that time it is usually to late for anyone to help you.

If you think your safe be WARNED act NOW before you lose the lot.

END

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Disclaimer.

This information is provided free of charge as a service to our Agmates members. Agmates in no way financially benefits from providing this information. You should not make any financial decisions based on anything written or implied in this article and it should not be taken as financial advice of any kind. It is general information, published as an opinion on behalf of the writer and should not be relied upon.

If you are in financial trouble Agmates strongly and only recommends that you seek help immediately from a qualified and independent professional.

If you wish to contact the author St Botolph you can do so by phoning the Agmates Editor Steve Truman 0428 966819 in the first instance. Your privacy and total confidentiality is guaranteed.

Have Your Say!

Today there has been great anger express among Australian farmers directed at the Australian Peak Farming lobby group, the National Farmers Federation (NFF) over its stand on the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme.

To ensure that this anger is channeled in the right direction it is important to think clearly about who and what the National Farmers Federation really is.

Firstly the NFF is perceived by government and media as the undisputed voice of Australian farmers.

Many farmers believe the NFF to be a separate organization of which their State Farming Organization ( SFO’s) is a member. Indeed this is a misconception that the NFF and SFO’s and the Commodity Councils foster amongst farmers.

When the NFF was formed in 1979 it replaced a plethora of state and commodity based farmer groups with a single “federated” organization based in Canberra. As the term “federation” denotes it does not have individual members but rather has member organizations. The NFF member organizations are the State farming organizations and the Commodity Councils. Here is a list of the member organizations that make up what is called the NFF.

In effect the NFF has around 55,000 members through its State member organizations (to know accurately you have to know the exact membership of each SFO.) The Commodity Councils (CC’s) have no members only the SFO’s.

The NFF is in fact a “family” made up of the executive, the councils, the committees, the commodity councils and the SFO’s.

However the State Farming Organizations are the foundation of the NFF “family”. Without the State Farming organizations the NFF does not exist.

The NFF’s funding comes from the SFO’s who pay a contribution a fee in order to be state members of the “Federation”. The SFO’s also pay the “federation” a subscription fee for seats on the relevant Commodity Councils.

As stated before the SFO’s are the only members of the “federation” who have direct farmer members. The SFO’s fund the whole NFF “family” via voluntary subscriptions from farmers.

So when you refer to the NFF you are actually referring to an organizational grouping, the foundation of which is the State Farming Organizations.

The office bearers of the NFF and the Commodity Councils are the delegates appointed by the the State Farming Organizations – from the State Farming Organizations.

The State Farming Organizations therefore wield considerable influence and power over the “federation”, the office bearers are SFO delegates and the NFF is fully funded by the SFO’s.

So as a farmer if you are talking about the NFF you are actually talking about the SFO’s who “club” together as a “federation” to deal with issues that cross a single state border.

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This is the first article in a series – the Next will be the Role of the State Farm Bodies.

Agmates editor – Steve Truman

Over the last decade like the Australian ABC the UK BBC has been chief amongst media spreading the global warming hysteria. Finally after a decade of global cooling even the mighty BBC has relented.

From BBC online:

What happened to global warming?

“This headline may come as a bit of a surprise, so too might that fact that the warmest year recorded globally was not in 2008 or 2007, but in 1998.

But it is true.

For the last 11 years we have not observed any increase in global temperatures.

And our climate models did not forecast it, even though man-made carbon dioxide, the gas thought to be responsible for warming our planet, has continued to rise.

So what on Earth is going on? “

Writes the BBC’s Climate correspondent Paul Hudson.

Don’t you just love the surprised innocence in Paul’s tone, completely blindsided by this news he is. Now Paul is not your average BBC news journo, he is THE BBC Climate Correspondent breaking this amazing news to the world.

After going through a range of options as to what is really driving the climate, the Sun, World ocean temperatures, Paul comes to the stunning conclusion:

“One thing is for sure. It seems the debate about what is causing global warming is far from over. Indeed some would say it is hotting up.”

How long before Australia’s own National Broadcaster the ABC starts to report the facts instead of the hype?

Indeed how long before our own Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Climate Change Minister (the minister for the natural) Penny Wong, admit the truth to the Australian people,

“the science on climate change is anything but settled”.

END

Have your say.

Agmates E-Trader Tiaro Machinery Sales is our first e-trader business to launch live online auctions as part of their e-trader site.

The Tiaro e-trader site clocked up an impressive 6,000 + page view this week with good sales being made from the site.

Tiaro machinery’s owner is also the businesses sales person. He had just taken a well earned break, a trip to the Australian Gulf Country for some Hunt’n and Fish’n. His Agmates E-trader Auctions are putting money in his bank account even when he’s holidaying.

For example this 4 Wheel Hay Rake just went off to a purchaser 630 kms away at Mirani North QLD. The first office manager Lindy Wilkins knew about it was having to give the purchaser the business bank details for payment.

Map of Queensland

With e-trader auctions, your open for business 24 hours a day – 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

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I had a phone call this morning from Maria Ridge to advise that they have sold their Sherwell Mobile Field bin.

Maria said that they sold it within 24 hours of putting it up on the site. A fellow saw it on the site called them and was there to pick it up the next day.

Agmates Trader Classified works. Great result for just a $6.60 investment.

The Agmates is the only site of that I know of that still accepts payment by Cheque or direct deposit – but we charge an extra $10 per listing for it). maria was smart and used our paypal used her credit card utilizing our world leading paypal checkout system. We use Paypal because they are the safest there is. In fact I won’t use anything else to process my credit card on the net. If they don’t take paypal, I won’t use my card.

Sherwell Mobile Field Bin

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ABC Four Corners is Australia's premier television current affairs program. Click on Logo to visit their web site

I was contacted by ABC Four Corners researcher Anne Connolly this morning. Four Corners will be attending and filming the Professor Bob Carter Climate Change meeting organized by Agmates in conjunction with Property Rights Australia and The Australian Climate Science Coalition.

The Four Corners crew will be there on the day following Nationals Senate Leader Barnaby Joyce and will be attending the campdraft with him and then the Bob Carter Climate Change talks that night.

All indications are that their will a large roll up to the meeting. If you’d like to ensure that you have seats for the meeting please click here and use the RSVP function to show if you will be attending or not attending. If you are not attending please use comments section at the bottom to leave a message of support or otherwise. Its important if you cannot be there on the night that you have your say.

In the the lead up to the resumption of Parliament and second vote on the Rudd Governments Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme the three meeting at Rockhampton, Roma and Clermont are shaping up as events of national significance. They are the most significant and substantial community insipired Climate Change meeeting in Australia between now and the crucial vote.

So take your place in the historic meetings. Be sure to secure your seat at the closest meeting and bring a friend. You can play your part in spreading the word through the Australian community by emailing this onto each and every person on your email contact list.

END

Steve Truman Agmates Editor.

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