Why dont Aussie supermarkets support Aussie farmers?

graham (chickenman) · Senior Member

Why dont Aussie supermarkets support Aussie farmers?

aussietraveller · Guru

There needs to be a section on each range of products that is exclusively for 100% aussie product not just aussie and imported where the only Aussie part is usually water used to reconstitute the imported product, and I agree its way past time the consumer protection authority developed the guts to take on the two big retailers.

exa41 · Guru

they are too interested in the $ to worry about farmers , and Mr Abbott couldn`t care less.

Cloak · Guru

I believe the only branded beans grown and canned in Australia these days is SPC .

Haven't looked at house brand yet so don't know.

There was a story on the farmers who grow beans in QLD and basically if the numbers don't improve they will grow other crops.

Heinz uses mostly Chinese produce which is grown in human excrement as we know.

Beware of anything from NZ they have very weak food labelling laws which is why Heinz and most others manufacture from there.

At least you read the label....

Middo · Veteran Member

Just done the shopping today. Not hard to find where the product comes from. If you buy home brand then it will be mostly from overseas but not always. Frozen vegs. From Australia have Australia marked on the front of the packet. No good blaming Abbott for what we buy. It's up to us what we put in the trolley not the government. If we don't support the local product, then we are to blame.

graham (chickenman) · Senior Member

Middo wrote:
Just done the shopping today. Not hard to find where the product comes from. If you buy home brand then it will be mostly from overseas but not always. Frozen vegs. From Australia have Australia marked on the front of the packet. No good blaming Abbott for what we buy. It's up to us what we put in the trolley not the government. If we don't support the local product, then we are to blame.

But be to hard to have Australian produce on the front of the label hey? Middi have yet to see Australian on the front of any frozen vegies, maybe I need new glasses?

Maybe Iga could start doing a label for Australian growen vegies? as I said prior as a pensioner I be happy to pay extra to support our farmers.

Middo · Veteran Member

Birds Eye products have the words australian produce on them with the map of Australia as well. Not hard to find if you know where to look. Maybe some supermarkets don't have them but Woolworths do. Maybe people just buy on price. I do sometimes. There is a bit of Aussie produce out there.

JayDee · Guru

the big boys don't give a S$%&F. Just as long as they are making $ Millions they care where they come from.
Yes, we will have to check each packet and tin, but then they are usually " Packed for ?????)
They say they want to support the locals, then they go after the $$$$.
They are a law unto them selves.
Jay&Dee

graham (chickenman) · Senior Member

JayDee wrote:

the big boys don't give a S$%&F. Just as long as they are making $ Millions they care where they come from.
Yes, we will have to check each packet and tin, but then they are usually " Packed for ?????)
They say they want to support the locals, then they go after the $$$$.
They are a law unto them selves.
Jay&Dee

So true greed for the $.

Also never trust the Kiwi's, they can buy frozen food from China repackaged it and then put produce of Nz

Also Mc donalds used to be proud they supported the Tassie potatoe farmers, but the greed of the $ they get there spuds from Nz? When is this b/s gona stop?

Glenelg · Guru

Hi Graham. your a south aussie how about foodland, don't know about interstate. or IGA they be in smaller towns arnt they

graham (chickenman) · Senior Member

Glenelg wrote:
Hi Graham. your a south aussie how about foodland, don't know about interstate. or IGA they be in smaller towns arnt they

I think most of black n gold at Iga is mostly from China?

Yes in Sa at present near Point Lowly but a banana bender here but heading north in app 2 to 3 weeks to go up to Emerald in Qld or beyond to Mareeba Nth Qld, going Cobar, Bourke, up to Tambo then across to Springsure then Emerald. Maybe do some shopping at Cunnamulla there is a iga store there.

Bryan · Guru

Its not the Supermarkets in my opinion. Its us. If we didn't buy the imported product they wouldn't stock them. We are in WA and most of our shopping is done at the local IGA and we look first & foremost for Aussie products and if not available for products packed in Australia.

Gerty Dancer · Guru

Bryan wrote:
Its not the Supermarkets in my opinion. Its us. If we didn't buy the imported product they wouldn't stock them. We are in WA and most of our shopping is done at the local IGA and we look first & foremost for Aussie products and if not available for products packed in Australia.

Ditto, Bryan.

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

They rip the guts out of Aus farmers in there buying ! Small farmers cannot compete with large corporate farmers. The same with milk ? The $1 a litre for milk has done NOTHING for local farmers..
It's aften Aust / NZ companies that import via NZ so Woolworths / Coles suppliers know where it's coming from..They buy the cheapest they can .. The world is run by money more so these days unfortunately .
I liked the apricot tinned fruit at Aldi . First read on label ages ago to be Aus fruit.. Then I checked at the store before putting in trolley.. Yep grown in China! Checked the peaches ? Yep grown in Aust.. Ya !! That'll do me..
I don't mind buying overseas if its good .. But food is the exception IMO .. Especially when the locals are doing it tuff !!

barrie · Guru

The big 2 have shareholders and they want dividends up so if they can get goods cheaper from overseas there happy.I wonder how many on Grey Nomads have shares in these companies to fund there retirement

Friar Park · Senior Member

Guys throughout this thread IGA have been given a pretty good wrap but i think you will find that they have their supply chain locked into Woolies. I'm sure I read it somewhere. Maybe not everything they sell but a big majority is through Woolies organisation, different labels.

Friar

neilnruth · Guru

As Middo said - Look at the bold writing on the beans and peas and it will say "Australian Beans" or "Australian Peas" - I don't think it can get any clearer than that. It's big enough not to need your glasses. And cost is similar to the others.
As Aus-Kiwi says the supermarkets are dictating what price they will pay the farmers.

SnowT · Guru

The supplies are importing via NZ due to NZ's Testing standard for goods that are for sale overseas are MORE relaxed than what a Direct import to OZ has to go thru..

Because the stuff Comes from NZ, the product's do not get TESTED as much as if the stuff come from China Direct..

And Yes All the Supermarket's care about is the All might Dollar in Their Pocket..

- They have screwed so many company's to the WALL due to them Trying to set the Prices... For example.. The Anzac Biscuit company.. I think we have all tried them at one stage or another... they were sent Broke due to The Big 2 Wanting to set the Price..[That they pay for the good's].

Ask any Dairy farmer that Runs a Dairy.. The Price they get paid Per Litre does not give them a healthy Balance.. When you take into account the Feed that they have to bring in.. and other operating expenses..
How many Dairy farms have gone broke...?
How many have just sold up..?

- Have a Look at our Fruit Growers, how many of the farmers have Cut down the tree's due to them not making enough of a profit.. Cost of Picking the fruit is such that they just let the fruit Rot, due it cost more to pick than they will get from the market place... Our farmers are trying to compete with Fruit and Veg from Countries that Subsidize the cost's..

Juergen

D and D · Guru

I'm not a fan of either Woolies or Coles but they are business to make a dollar. If they sell more of goods they import from overseas and the profit margin for those goods is enough then that is what they will stock. If no one bought the cheap imports then the shops wouldn't stock them. It's not exactly rocket science. If looking on the pack to detect the county of origin is too much trouble then it can't really be important to you can it? Alternatively look up sites such as this to see what products are Australian made and owned.

Mezzie · Senior Member

Don't even get me started on this subject, its been a passion of mine for 23 years. Ive been buying Aussie for all this time and let me tell you, its getting harder to spot the Aussie product, more and more of our industry is being sold off/given away/taken over/hijacked and stolen every day. www.ausbuy.com.au/174.html
At least there is one organisation that can help, link above.
So, the secret is local first which has to be Aussie.
IGA use to be Australian owned but now only a handfull are :(
I will not shop at Coles or Woolies because they are bullies and rip off our Aussie farmer....grrrrrr!!! How F....ing UN-AUSTRALIAN !!! AND they are not Australian owned, according to Ausbuy only this supermarket it www.aussiefarmers.com.au/

with regret
Mezzie

graham (chickenman) · Senior Member

Just look at the tricks of Coles in bread, baked fresh daily? what b/s its made in Ireland frozen then here its baked?

Coles should have been shut down for good as they class us public as idiots? furious

Legendts · Senior Member

We've been in Bundaberg for a few weeks sorting s$@t out and the vegetables at all supermarkets there is disgusting. Had to prop in Gin Gin for a couple of nights as my better half is getting over a back injury and went into the IGA and what a difference. Not only in quality but price as well. An example, lady finger bananas were $7.99 in Bundy and $5.99 in Gin Gin IGA and better quality by far. So if you're coming through Gin Gin do your shop there. Nice store and well laid out.

graham (chickenman) · Senior Member

Legendts wrote:
We've been in Bundaberg for a few weeks sorting s$@t out and the vegetables at all supermarkets there is disgusting. Had to prop in Gin Gin for a couple of nights as my better half is getting over a back injury and went into the IGA and what a difference. Not only in quality but price as well. An example, lady finger bananas were $7.99 in Bundy and $5.99 in Gin Gin IGA and better quality by far. So if you're coming through Gin Gin do your shop there. Nice store and well laid out.

Great to know this info smile

A lot of small towns have farmers markets once a week as well.

http://barossafarmersmarket.com.au/

https://www.google.com.au/#q=farmers+markets+queensland

Full guide to Qld for farmers markets http://www.marketguide.com.au/qld-2.htm

-- Edited by graham (chickenman) on Thursday 3rd of July 2014 10:16:52 AM

-- Edited by graham (chickenman) on Thursday 3rd of July 2014 10:19:23 AM

delapan · Senior Member

Ditto Bryan, we are pensioners, but if it is not made in Australia we don't buy it, we go without. Coles here in mildura stock a lot of Aussie stuff now,way more than a couple of years ago, guess most people were doing the same, so the imported stuff stayedp on the shelves (also made it loudly known when a worker or the manager was near, that it was australian or we go without) Agreed it costs us more to shop All Aussie, but for the generations to follow us the cost will be WAY MORE if we don't.

Bas + Eve · Senior Member

Its all about the money honey!

Santa · Guru

Perhaps the question should be why don't Aussie farmers support the Aussie public.

Was watching a show on orange production the other night, the grower being interviewed freely admitted that the very best 20% of the crop is earmarked for export, the Australian public get the left overs.

We all look after our own interests, if it makes you feel good to buy only Australian produce then do it, I buy what suits me, if the quality is good, the price is right and it happens to be imported, so be it. wink

jetj · Guru

Bas + Eve wrote:
Its all about the money honey!

Too right!

beiffe · Guru

The reason the best product goes overseas is because they need to do that to survive.
If they relied on the Australian market they would go out of business quicker.
I have been involved in jobs where the best always went overseas and the inferior or smaller or larger was sol locally.
Just a fact of staying in business.
Coles and Woolies suck the life out of our farmers and producers and when they buckle under the bully tactics they remove their product from the shelves.
If they find a cheaper product over seas they remove the local product to remove the competition and get a larger slice of the market.
I always look for Australian product and find that Aldi is the best.
Most is either Australian or European so better quality and ALWAYS a better price.
The sooner the lazy people learned to go a bit further for good product the sooner we will get better stock on shelves and the sooner some will loose the weight they need to.
Regards
Brian

Mezzie · Senior Member

smile smile Absolutely 100% correct.

Buy Aussie before they sell it under our feet, buy Aussie so our children have a job, buy Aussie so we can keep our country.

And, yep.... its always about the money

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Imagine the out cry if most the farmers grew sugar beet. Or corn etc to make fuel for vehicles . As its a better proposition income wise ..

Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.