Media Release

KAP Leader and the Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter MP will be touring the North Qld region to discuss issues with local farming groups on Saturday June 21.

This tour coincides with the 2014 AUSVEG National Convention where Mr Katter is a guest speaker.

Mr Katter will address the convention about issues farmers deal with and the problems they face when forced to sell their fresh produce to a fierce oligopolistic market.

In previous statements Mr Katter has said there needs to be an open and honest reform to labelling on the produce to display the price that the supermarkets pay to the farmer.

Being a vocal supporter for farmers on the issues that producers face with their selling agents, Mr Katter has said: “We are no further advanced now than we were over 15 years ago, in our fight to get a simple sales docket from the agent.

The agent will not give the farmer’s a sales docket, so you do not know what they (the agent) sell the produce for.

"Sales dockets and trust accounts must be set up as standard practice for these farmers.”

Mr Katter is also calling for there to be a mandatory trust fund set up for the secure transfer of funds owing to the producer.

“When you sell your house, or your car, your money is protected by a trust fund. When a farmer sells his fruit and vegetable at a market – the money goes straight into the agent’s bank account. We need a system in place that protects the income for the producers and their employees,” Mr Katter said.

On Saturday June 21 Mr Katter has invited the Minister for Agriculture Mr Barnaby Joyce MP and the Shadow Agriculture Minister Mr Joel Fitzgibbon MP to his Kennedy electorate, to meet first hand with grass roots farmers and to hear from the horse’s mouth as to the key issues affecting farmers.

On this tour Mr Katter along with Mr Fitzgibbon, will be visiting coffee, banana, mango, lime and avocado farmers in the Mareeba area and the banana and cane growers in Babinda to discuss with them the issues that they are facing in regard to production, agriculture and market sales.

Mr Katter will continue to stand up for the rights of the producers and has made many speeches and statements about a fair go for farmers.

“There is a definite need for urgent Federal Government intervention to divest the two supermarket giants and give owner operated business, Australian farmers and customers increased competition, greater choice and a fairer deal when selling their produce,” Mr Katter said.

Mr Katter will be addressing these issues at the 2014 AUSVEG National Convention on Saturday June 21 at the Cairns Convention Centre.