The Global Warming

.The Federal Government’s proposed emissions trading scheme will be one of the main issues discussed at the AgForce state conference in north Queensland this morning.
A total of 250 delegates will attend the two-day event in Proserpine, including federal Agriculture Minister Tony Burke and Queensland Primary Industries Minister Tim Mulherin.
“The ramifications could be significant,” he said.
Brett de Hayr, the chief executive officer of rural lobby group AgForce, says many farmers are concerned about what will happen if agriculture is included in an emissions trading scheme.
“We’ve got to deal with the practicalities of climate change and hopefully the politics won’t strangle us at the same time.
“The modelling that we’ve seen shows that it could decrease people’s profit margins by over 100 per cent in some cases, so that’s why AgForce, with the signals from its members, is certainly opposing having agriculture as a covered sector.
He says the meeting will also focus on new technologies to help ensure the future of local food production.”
Mr Hayr says they will discuss challenges including fuel prices and ways to better support farming families.
“You put on top of that factors such as climate change and drought and the pressure on food production is increasing worldwide – and Australia is well placed to capitalise on that .
“We’ve got competition for land from urban development, from the resources sector,” he said…. as long as we can stay ahead of other developments and agriculture has shown a propensity to be able to do . that..”