Food prices set to rise as NSW drought spreads
Nov 12th 2006, 12:05 pm
#1
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Food prices set to rise as NSW drought spreads
New South Wales has plunged deeper into drought and it is expected to push food prices up.
The latest figures show 94 per cent of the state is now drought-declared.
It is a 5-point increase on last month.
The State Government says it is disastrous and the state has experienced one of the worst spring rainfalls in history.
The New South Wales Minister for Primary Industries, Ian Macdonald, says the price of milk, eggs, grains and meat will rise and the lack of water will cause problems for food producers in irrigation areas.
Nov 12th 2006, 12:26 pm
#2
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Re: Food prices set to rise as NSW drought spreads
And what is your Premier and John Howard doing about the drought?? 
Nov 12th 2006, 12:29 pm
#3
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Re: Food prices set to rise as NSW drought spreads
Originally Posted by Vash the Stampede
New South Wales has plunged deeper into drought and it is expected to push food prices up.
The latest figures show 94 per cent of the state is now drought-declared.
It is a 5-point increase on last month.
The State Government says it is disastrous and the state has experienced one of the worst spring rainfalls in history.
The New South Wales Minister for Primary Industries, Ian Macdonald, says the price of milk, eggs, grains and meat will rise and the lack of water will cause problems for food producers in irrigation areas.
Nov 12th 2006, 1:07 pm
#4
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Re: Food prices set to rise as NSW drought spreads
Originally Posted by Vash the Stampede
New South Wales has plunged deeper into drought and it is expected to push food prices up.
The latest figures show 94 per cent of the state is now drought-declared.
It is a 5-point increase on last month.
The State Government says it is disastrous and the state has experienced one of the worst spring rainfalls in history.
The New South Wales Minister for Primary Industries, Ian Macdonald, says the price of milk, eggs, grains and meat will rise and the lack of water will cause problems for food producers in irrigation areas.
I don't understand why prices should rise. If produce is not available locally, then import it. Imported stuff is usually cheaper as well.
Nov 12th 2006, 1:55 pm
#5
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Re: Food prices set to rise as NSW drought spreads
The MIL ( Qld, 3 hours from Brissie, Level 4 water restrictions) told me today "Its not safe to travel to New South Wales now, they have a lot of criminals there, and no water". She already moans about the food prices up here, wait till she hears the drought is pushing them up further
Nov 12th 2006, 2:11 pm
#6
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Re: Food prices set to rise as NSW drought spreads
Originally Posted by Pollyana
The MIL ( Qld, 3 hours from Brissie, Level 4 water restrictions) told me today "Its not safe to travel to New South Wales now, they have a lot of criminals there, and no water". She already moans about the food prices up here, wait till she hears the drought is pushing them up further
Nov 12th 2006, 2:48 pm
#7
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Re: Food prices set to rise as NSW drought spreads
Originally Posted by Amazulu
I don't understand why prices should rise. If produce is not available locally, then import it. Imported stuff is usually cheaper as well.
Firstly, you need a pre-existing import agreement with a country capable of providing what you need. Secondly, the imported stuff has to be capable of meeting the required standards, which isn't as easy as it sounds.
That said, Australia already imports a substantial amount of food:
According to ABARE, 38 percent of processed vegetables are imported, 68 percent of frozen vegetables are imported and 48 percent of canned vegetables are imported.
Imported frozen vegetables come mainly from New Zealand (65%) and China (10%) and imported processed vegetables come from Italy (25%), China (15%) and the United States (10%)[2]. Most of Australia’s imported fresh vegetables come from New Zealand (40%) and China (25%).
As you can see, most of our imports consist of processed or frozen food. Fresh food is grown locally, so there's no need to import it - and even if you did, it wouldn't be very "fresh" by the time it had covered the necessary (x) thousand kilometres to reach Australia.
The drought will have an immediate impact on the price of fresh food, but I can't see it affecting processed and frozen produce - unless it was sourced locally.
Nov 12th 2006, 4:53 pm
#8
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 9,066
Re: Food prices set to rise as NSW drought spreads
Originally Posted by dollydaydream2
Are criminals stealing the water in NSW?
Nov 12th 2006, 4:56 pm
#9
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 9,066
Re: Food prices set to rise as NSW drought spreads
Originally Posted by Vash the Stampede
You can't just import stuff spontaneously. It's not as simple as snapping your fingers and asking Taiwan to provide 3 million mangoes by next Wednesday.
Firstly, you need a pre-existing import agreement with a country capable of providing what you need. Secondly, the imported stuff has to be capable of meeting the required standards, which isn't as easy as it sounds.
That said, Australia already imports a substantial amount of food:
According to ABARE, 38 percent of processed vegetables are imported, 68 percent of frozen vegetables are imported and 48 percent of canned vegetables are imported.
Imported frozen vegetables come mainly from New Zealand (65%) and China (10%) and imported processed vegetables come from Italy (25%), China (15%) and the United States (10%)[2]. Most of Australia’s imported fresh vegetables come from New Zealand (40%) and China (25%).
AFN.
As you can see, most of our imports consist of processed or frozen food. Fresh food is grown locally, so there's no need to import it - and even if you did, it wouldn't be very "fresh" by the time it had covered the necessary (x) thousand kilometres to reach Australia.
The drought will have an immediate impact on the price of fresh food, but I can't see it affecting processed and frozen produce - unless it was sourced locally.
Firstly, you need a pre-existing import agreement with a country capable of providing what you need. Secondly, the imported stuff has to be capable of meeting the required standards, which isn't as easy as it sounds.
That said, Australia already imports a substantial amount of food:
According to ABARE, 38 percent of processed vegetables are imported, 68 percent of frozen vegetables are imported and 48 percent of canned vegetables are imported.
Imported frozen vegetables come mainly from New Zealand (65%) and China (10%) and imported processed vegetables come from Italy (25%), China (15%) and the United States (10%)[2]. Most of Australia’s imported fresh vegetables come from New Zealand (40%) and China (25%).
As you can see, most of our imports consist of processed or frozen food. Fresh food is grown locally, so there's no need to import it - and even if you did, it wouldn't be very "fresh" by the time it had covered the necessary (x) thousand kilometres to reach Australia.
The drought will have an immediate impact on the price of fresh food, but I can't see it affecting processed and frozen produce - unless it was sourced locally.
1000 yr drought is a publicity stunt went form a 100yr drought to 1000yr drought overnight. At the end of the day they could have done more to prepare for it.
Nov 12th 2006, 7:15 pm
#10
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Re: Food prices set to rise as NSW drought spreads
Mrs Buzzy tells me that the TV in New Zealand is full of stories about Australian farmers committing suicide because of the drought.
Buzzy
Buzzy
Nov 12th 2006, 7:33 pm
#11
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Re: Food prices set to rise as NSW drought spreads
Food prices rose 9% in the last quarter :scared: that would be 36% for the year. The previous year they rose around 20 % for the year. Food is extortinate already.
However I do not believe for one second its all drought related, more profitering, when lambs go from $60 each to 50c at sale we should currently have a glut of cheap meat, but we dont The countries 2 ! supermarket players are making billion dollar profits, total lack of competition is as much the reason.
Take bananas, sorry for the repeated example still $14.99 a kilo, but they are new stock
, once that price was acheived, its like its been set, they got away with it, so they continue to charge it.
However I do not believe for one second its all drought related, more profitering, when lambs go from $60 each to 50c at sale we should currently have a glut of cheap meat, but we dont
The countries 2 ! supermarket players are making billion dollar profits, total lack of competition is as much the reason.Take bananas, sorry for the repeated example still $14.99 a kilo, but they are new stock
, once that price was acheived, its like its been set, they got away with it, so they continue to charge it.
Nov 12th 2006, 7:37 pm
#12
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Location: South Wales to New South Wales!
Posts: 3,065
Re: Food prices set to rise as NSW drought spreads
I dont understand the problem? I live in NSW and when I turned on the tap this morning there was plenty of water!! 
Nov 12th 2006, 8:09 pm
#13
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Re: Food prices set to rise as NSW drought spreads
Originally Posted by Vash the Stampede
New South Wales has plunged deeper into drought and it is expected to push food prices up.
The latest figures show 94 per cent of the state is now drought-declared.
It is a 5-point increase on last month.
The State Government says it is disastrous and the state has experienced one of the worst spring rainfalls in history.
The New South Wales Minister for Primary Industries, Ian Macdonald, says the price of milk, eggs, grains and meat will rise and the lack of water will cause problems for food producers in irrigation areas.
ABC.
Right, that's it. Decision made. I'm going to Melbourne
With all seriousness, I remember the 80's drought.
I was about 8 and there was big cracks in our lawn so I turned the hose on and put the end down it to help fill them in :scared:
Good job I was in the back yard and no one reported me
J x
Nov 12th 2006, 8:32 pm
#14
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Re: Food prices set to rise as NSW drought spreads
Originally Posted by dollydaydream2
Are criminals stealing the water in NSW?
Nov 12th 2006, 8:45 pm
#15
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Re: Food prices set to rise as NSW drought spreads
Water theft happens here sometimes. I'm not convinced it's as regular an occurrence as we've been led to believe,though I do know a couple who had just bought half a tank of water last year and arrived home to find the tank empty and large ruts in the flower beds where a truck had pulled up close to the tank to empty it.
Ours is pretty safe the rural fire brigade were concerned they couldn't access it in an emergency even though there's a large dam 200m away with a fire pump sitting next to it.
Ours is pretty safe the rural fire brigade were concerned they couldn't access it in an emergency even though there's a large dam 200m away with a fire pump sitting next to it.