McDonald's deal with New Zealand to hit Tas potato growers MICDONULD WANTZ CHEEPER POTATUZ Tasmanian potato growers are predicting losses of more than $10 million after a decision by Simplot Australia to cut contracts. MORE ROOM FOR FROLICKING WILDLIFE? Simplot will cut grower contracts by 43,000 tonnes or 15 per cent. DO WE EAT SEVEN TIMES THAT MUCH FIRES WITH THE LOT? McDonald's may now buy up to 50 per cent of its potato chips from New Zealand. CHUPS FROM NUE ZULAND? THATSEX! Potato growers group chairman Philip Richardson: "Obviously there's going to be less wages paid ..." REDUCE WAGES? HOWARDISTAN IS PROUD OF YOU SON. THAT'S A WINNER...

From the ABC

Family First calls for McDonald's spud boycott

The Family First Party is calling for a boycott of McDonald's potato products.

The party's Victorian Senator, Stephen Fielding, wants people to stop buying French Fries and hash browns.

He made the announcement in a McDonald's store at Ballarat in Western Victoria.

The company has recently angered farmers with a decision to import half of its potatoes from New Zealand.

Senator Fielding says the boycott will send a message to support Australian farmers and their produce.

"When McDonald's staff ask me 'Would you like fries with that?', I'm going to reply, 'Not if they're imported ones - or not if they're imported spuds'," he said.

Farmers have welcomed the boycott call.From the ... etc etc...

From the ABC
WITH ANNOTATION FROM GUS

Boycott will hurt Tas farmers: McDonald's
SO? IT MIGHT HURT A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE INCLUDING MCDONALD...
McDonald's is defending its loyalty to Australian food producers.
EVERYTHING HAS A PRICE... AND LOYALTY MAY BE MORE FICKLE IN THE FUTURE.
The Family First Party has called for a boycott of McDonald's hash browns and french fries after the company decided to cut its Australian potato contracts for next year.
SAVES YOUR ARTERIES ANYWAY (TASSIES OR NZ SPUDS) .... LESS FRIED FOOD.
But McDonald's spokeswoman Kristene Mullen says the company spends more than $500 million a year on Australian grown food.
EVERYONE'S GOT TO EAT. WHETHER IT GOES THROUGH THE PROCESSES OF MCDONALD OR A FEW LITTLE INDEPENDENT VEGIE CORNER SHOPS IS ONLY A METHOD OF DISTRIBUTION OF SURVIVAL RESOURCES (FOOD)
She says it will not start getting any potatoes from New Zealand for another six months.
SO POTATOES ARE STILL POTATOES TILL THEY BECOME NZ SPUDS?
"Having a boycott I think really is only going to damage the Tasmanian farmers, because at this stage we're still using potatoes from Tasmania," she said.
YOU MEAN MCD MIGHT NOT USE ANY TASMANIAN GROWN POTATOES WHEN IT CAN FIND CHEAPER SUPPLIERS TO CATER FOR 100 PER CENT OF DEMAND?

The connection between too many carbs (and fats) and obesity, and the hence the enormous load on the healthcare systems, is obvious. It's a pity that primary producers are caught up in a campaign to subsidise the voters of Idaho.

When are we going to see decent public advertising, good quality stuff on TV and in print, advising taxpayers how to eat properly? We should be prepared to pay the same, at the farm gate, for half the tonnage of spuds.

When is Costello going to admit that, as Treasurer, he could be of real benefit to his consituents by spearheading simple public health reforms?

But the potato farmers saga reminds of the play, on TV some years ago, called the Cockie from Bungaree (or similar). It was about a spud farmer who hired some blokes for seasonal labour on the farm, and he lost his wife to one of them.

Here's the first verse from the song Cockies of Bungaree
Come all you weary travellers that's out of work just mind
You take a trip to Bungaree and plenty there you'll find
Have a trial with the cockies you can take it straight from me
I'm very sure you'll rue the day you first saw Bungaree

It seems to me that Peter Pentecostello is well placed to advise the nation's spud farmers, as in the second version of the song.

Oh he called me to my supper at half-past eight or nine
He called me to my breakfast before the sun did shine
And after tea was over all with a merry laugh
The old cocky says to me "We'll cut a bit of chaff"