BY ALEX BAINBRIDGE
SMITHTON — On August 1, in the largest farmer protest in Tasmania's history, 500 potato farmers and their supporters converged with tractors, trucks and other farm equipment on the McCain factory in Smithton. The blockade ensured no deliveries went in or out of the factory.
The farmers are demanding an extra $30 per tonne for potatoes. They have not had a price increase for 10 years. In fact, a few years ago, the price they receive was reduced by $8 per tonne to its current level of around $200. The farmers would need double what they are demanding simply to catch up with inflation since then. The products made from the potatoes retail for $9000 or more.
Farmers decided to seek the raise and organise the blockade at a 400-strong meeting in May. Protest organiser Richard Bovill told Green Left that "we realised we had a snow flake's chance in hell of achieving any rise if we simply sent in a negotiating team".
The action was carefully organised. Bovill explained that the farmers were surveyed to find out who would participate, who would bring equipment, and who would help organise other farmers to attend.
"We are going for $30 or nothing", Bovill told GLW. "We don't want some other offer and we want it this year, not next year."
One farmer told me that several years ago the processors — McCain and Simplot — would simply say "if you don't grow them, there are 40 others who will". Today, however, many farmers are considering changing crops if they don't get a rise.
The processing companies have claimed that the rise is unjustified because farmers in NZ and the US get paid less than those in Australia. Bovill responded by saying that this is not a good reason to deny a rise. "We are Australian farmers, the processing factories are based in Australia and they're selling the finished product on the Australian market", he said.
Bovill also pointed out that, "if that's the case [that farmers overseas get less than Australian farmers] then they are being screwed too". He added, "we all need to stick together. We need to be globally united".
"This is the same as S11" Bovill said. "Some of us have realised that some of the students and radicals are right. We might not approve of their methods, but the issues are the same."
The most common banners at the protest were "Ah McCain, you've done us again" and simply "Simplot sucks".
The blockade concluded with a packed meeting where farmers resolved to continue their campaign for the full $30 rise. They decided that if the processors hadn't met their demands within three weeks, the farmers would return again to simultaneously blockade all three processing factories in Tasmania. Other Australian factories may also be targeted.