@martinw-48 wrote:
Chamo, did you jump up and down about all the jobs lost in the agricultural sector due to mechanisation.
No I didnt jump up and down. As mentioned a few days ago, I volunteered around 20 hours per week as chairman of a local ecenomic development group that succesfully attracted new businesses and industries into our rural community. The group also facilitated the community purchase and ownership of our main street shopping centre and negotiated with a new bank to provide services when others pulled out of the town.
Before my heart attack I was occasionally employed on a farm but only for fencing and lamb and calf marking.
If the farmer could get it done by himself there was no work.
Rural communities were devastated by mechanical advancement.
Thats true, but it doesnt alter the fact that the THE INCOME earned by those farming businesses, still stayed in Australia. Through our progressive tax system, the export income earned from this mechanised farming worked its way through the system to maintain and improve ( subsidise ) the living standards for all Australians including School Crossing supervisers. Once the farm is sold to the Chinese ( or anyone else OS ) Australians no longer have the benefit of that export income and people working in service industries ( almost all Australians now ) will see their living standards continue to fall as a result.
Every thing changes
A stupid person laments
A smart person adapts
Theres one other little bit you forgot to mention in your very true statement above. A stupid person cant see whats going on around them and just wonders why things are getting tougher for them all of the time..
I am not lamenting at all. I have seen these problems coming for several years now and have already been preparing and adapting. Changes I have made in the last five years include scaling back my ebay business in preparation for the drop in Australian consumer demand and opening most of my ebay listings up to international clients. A week ago this proved its purpose when for the first time in my ebay sales career over half of my sales where to International clients. My sales are holding up well when most sellers are reporting large falls.
As I have scaled back ebay, I have built a sheep grazing business. This is now fully mature and producing good income streams. Prime lamb is holding its value well on international markets to the point where, like lobster it is becoming a luxery product that Australians can no longer afford. Australia is the largest exporter of Lamb in the world and as such is more immune to global economic shocks than other bulk agricultural commodities such as beef or grains.
On the wool front I have moved my production away from bulk wool to the very top, premium segment. Again this proved its worth recently when the last lot of wool I sold topped the market Australia wide for that weeks sales. When things get tough, bulk commodities will sag in value, but the ultra high end products servicing the super rich will still be in demand and still command good prices.
People think they cant do anything to adjust to changing global circumstances. That it is only governments and big business that can respond. I am just a single person, home based operator, but I have made dramatic changes to the way I earn my income to adapt to changing Australian and global forces. Selling stuff on ebay that international buyers may be interested in and mailing OS are things anyone can do very easily. Starting a business that sells premium products or produce on the international market is a bit harder, but still can be done if people have the drive and initiative.
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