My big MOUTH...

[farmaholic]

Be interesting to hear your alternative? Go it alone? Sadly we don't have a free and open market to sell our grain/livestock(livestock maybe even less) into and we are a captive market to our suppliers of goods and services. I guess we could all quit. Hopefully have a huge reset and watch it all get out of hand over time again.

[Oliver88]

I can't disagree with any of your ideas Bucket, but would like to add a revamped revenue based crop insurance program. The federal government is floating around the idea of a minimum income level why should we not be able to insure for a minimum income. You are absolutely correct when you say we as producers are using our own equity against the coffers of other countries, and unless you have better equity than me it is a losing battle.

How would this crop insurance program work?
Use a 5 year average and guarantee that as a minimum?

Bucket’s idea of mirroring USA programs seems like the simplest solution.

[bucket]

I can tell you one thing - subsidy or ad-hoc payments are not the answer. They just get bid into land and input prices and the farmer is no better off. You also find yourself with more paperwork, more regulations and a whole raft more pen pushers to pay for.
Been there, done that, bought the T-shirt. No desire to go back.

Ever seen a banker farm.....that's what you are suggesting....because family farmers are pretty efficient and are sick of this game while other industries are well taken care of. ...

Hope the latest Chinese embargo doesn't hurt your farm while it hurts your neighbors. ...

But maybe that's the opportunity you are looking for....

Subsidizing large farms will cost more in the long run....watch....

They will eventually be looking for help for labour , capital etc....

[fjlip]

Its time to start replicating the US farm programs.

I have over the years written, now emailed that suggestion to every party of Federal Ministers....nobody hears us!\