What #hadagutful means to me

Watching my industry colleagues rally in Fremantle gives me a sense of pride that so many support our industry while at the same time gives me a feeling of guilt that I am not there in support.  Being more than 2000 kilometres away and with 20,000 cattle to look after, it made it a bit difficult to get there. 

While the rally was going on and I was firing off tweets, it gave me time to reflect on the issues at stake and exactly what #hadagutful means.  The expression #hadagutful captures the feelings of most producers extremely well and its frustrations in these areas:

·         That an industry can be shut down overnight. 

·         That two years later the industry is still suffering from the fall-out of that decision. 

·         That all the efforts to improve animal welfare are ignored. 

·         That alternatives to live export which are glibly expressed by industry opponents are accepted by many in the media and by politicians.

·         That all the care of animals before and during live export is ignored. 

·         That cattle production in the rangelands of Australia is one of the most environmentally benign forms of food production. 

Judging by the support from other farmers not directly reliant on live export and from a number of people who are not farmers themselves, the response indicates a wider resonance with rural Australia.  Farmers are generally sick of being treated like second class citizens.  They are sick of being at the mercy of supermarkets and their discounting wars. 

The old saying "the darkest hour is the hour before dawn" may be appropriate.  The big turn out at the rally and the even bigger turn-out on social media shows that farmers are no longer content to be the political pawns of various politicians. 

I certainly don’t feel like I am owed a living or want a hand-out from the Government like some large companies in Australia.  All I want is to receive a fair go, something we have not received from any level of Government.  Primary producers in Australia can do their bit to feed the world if only we are allowed to.