The way I see it is the current extra ordinary food inflation we are experiencing, which incidentally, I believe is a long way from over, is an investment in our farmers. With the cost of most imputs rising considerably many of our farmers are one uninsurable environmental event from a very precarious position. Coupled with that the lure of attractive remuneration packages from the mining sector I believe the industry could lose considerable experience and expertise. Much of our “next generation” farmers are leaving the industry due to concerns about their business being viable in the future. As a farmer myself we are constantly facing new and evolving challenges, some out of our control and some manufactured by “special interest groups”.
