"The last couple of seasons, consumers are demanding more Australian than the imported stuff."
I see that there is a subconscious shift in the consumer here, not just with garlic. Possibly one of the reasons why Australians consumers have become discerning purchases of locally produced garlic is the fact that sellers are 'forced' to display signs of where the produce is made. Put the words 'product of China' on a huge display and most people will pause and think. But placing the those key words out of easy sight and most will not notice. If you buy Kraft's Oreos or 'Chicken in a Biscuit' varieties you would will find the words 'made in china', but only after you spend quite a few seconds trying to find the country origin. The font size is usually so small that most with just 'average' eyesight will be unable to read where the product comes from.
I believe that is deliberate and unfair, not just to the consumer, but also to the local producers who have to compete with often unethical production practices. By ensuring the buying public remain 'uneducated' and 'ignorant', retailers can continue reaping in massive profits by selling the cheaply produced goods - to the point where many of our own producers have collapsed under the pressures cause by 1 dollar a day labour - not happy Jan!
We don't need protectionism - we need education. Educate the public on everything they purchase, and I mean 'in your face' eduction. Like the whole side of a box saying 'Made in China' - that'll cause a few 'red faces' at the checkout counters, and may even cause a few to put the item back on the shelf and pay a few coins more for the local product.
But it needn't stop there. Clothing gets up my nose big time. I refuse to pay top dollar for exclusive brand name clothing if it's made in China, simply because I know the retailers pay very, very little. But if that garment was made in France, England, the USA, Italy, or even Turkey, I would feel that I'm paying 'fair' value. I believe labels stating where the clothing is made should be placed on the outside. Call it the snob factor, whatever. But I would pay significantly more for a pair of jeans that have the words 'Australian Made' on the outside, or maybe the Australian flag which would guarantee that the garment was locally produced.
Imagine buying shoes with a tiny logo on the outside depicting they were Italian made - suddenly there's justification for paying $300 for those boots, instead of $150 you pay for the Chinese boots that look 'almost' identical, but just somehow never cut the mustard. They've succeeding in beating the system only because there's a system to beat us - call it 'conceal the truth from the consumer world'. They've gotten away with it for too long. All those tyres people drive around with today - the majority now come from China - because they get away with it! Tell the world where you got them from and everything changes.
Awareness is growing fast - dangerously fast. I don't believe we need to increase tariffs or introduce quotas, we just need to ensure that every item that gets purchased is 100% clearly labelled of where it comes from, and also let 'other' people know where the products you buy come from. It's not snobbery - it's called not being hypocritical. If you want top wages and all the workers benefits that goes with living in Australia like sickness, super, long service leave, paternal leave, maternal leave, etc, then you should not get away with turning your nose on products made by people who expect the same in return. That is not fair - if you want cheaper and cheaper, then expect your wages to eventually become - cheaper and cheaper. Think about it; it's already begun.
