Bread, Milk and Meat are some of the staple items whose prices are set to soar 15 percent or more in the next few months.
The price rise is not directly related to incompetence on Rudd's part. It is related to the practice of having low levels of livestock during drought, and restocking afterwards.
The rise will quickly flow through the market.
In other news, the ALP's popularity has increased since the November election. Inflation is up, interest rates are higher, markets are collapsing and the Rudd administration is standing by helpless.
The picture is of a Thai railway. There are many signs Australia can enjoy such prosperity under this administration too.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Unlucky Rudd Helpless As Prices Soar
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Bread, milk, meat prices tipped to soar
By Melanie Christiansen and Brian Williams
AUSTRALIAN consumers are facing another sharp rise in meat, dairy and bread prices, stretching budgets already under pressure from rising mortgages, rents and petrol.
According to the Australian Farm Institute, meat prices could surge by 15 per cent or more in the next few months.
Institute executive director Mick Keogh said the rain now bringing relief from the drought would result in a shortage of livestock available for meat production.
"Typically what happens going in to a drought is that farmers sell off any stock they can to avoid having to feed those stock through the drought," Mr Keogh said.
"Then at the end of the drought, a lot of farmers go into the re-stocking phase."
Mr Keogh said the increased competition to buy livestock for re-stocking had already seen big increases in prices at saleyards in NSW, and the same could be expected in Queensland soon.
He said that would quickly flow through to supermarket meat prices.
"I think most people would suggest a 10 or 15 per cent increase wouldn't be surprising at all. In fact, you would think it would be likely to be more than that over the next couple of months," he said.
Mr Keogh also predicted consumers would be paying more this year for dairy products and bread, due to increasing costs.
Queensland Dairyfarmers' Organisation chief executive Adrian Peake said further price rises for milk and general dairy products were almost certain this year.
"I don't know how much they'll rise because supply and demand will sort that out," Mr Peake said.
Prices had already risen about 30 per cent over the past six to eight months.
Coles spokesman Jim Cooper said supermarkets could not avoid passing on the rising cost of raw ingredients for foods such as bread and milk.
"We've done our best to absorb these costs but at some point they have to be passed on," he said.
"People say we control prices but there is a market out there and we are players in it."
AgForce grains president Lyndon Pfeffer said although bread prices had jumped an average 70 cents oer loaf in the past 12 months, of which grain growers had received just 10 cents.
The price of wheat reached its highest-ever level on international commodity markets in August and has jumped about 70 per cent in 18 months, with world stocks at a 26-year low.
But Mr Pfeffer said farmers were sick of seeing soaring wheat prices being used as justification for bread price increases. Growcom's chief advocate Mark Panitz warned the recent rains could impact on fruit and vegetable prices if crops sustained damage or diseases.
Australians happy with new PM: Survey
Jonathon Lea
Two months since John Howard was ousted from power it seems voters are still happy with their decision.
The latest opinion poll from Roy Morgan reveals support for the Rudd Government is continuing to surge well above the level it received during the November election.
Labor's support is up two points at 51.5 per cent compared to the Coalition, which is down one point at 33 per cent.
Where did Roy Morgan conduct his survey - inner Sydney and inner Melbourne? I have no faith in Roy Morgan surveys. These surveys were discredited even before the last election.
I agree, anon, that the surveys are politicized. I believe the surveys play a role in public perception. However, without contrary evidence, and you should note that the media are not reporting dissatisfaction, we need to examine why the survey is the way it is.
I don't think we should dismiss the survey as being fallacious, although it is. I think we need to examine why Roy Morgan is playing a political role, and who profits by it.
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