The Daily Blog Open Mic Tuesday 28th July 2015

1. ‘French farmers block routes from Spain, Germany to protest low meat & milk prices’

   https://www.rt.com/news/310838-france-farmers-spain-germany/

   “Farmers in France have blocked routes from Spain and Germany to express disagreement with lowered prices for meat and dairy products in a protest entering its second week. At least 300 trucks carrying products from abroad were forced to turn back.
   About 1,000 farmers in the Alsace region, northeastern France, which borders Germany, used tractors to block at least six routes and stop trucks with agricultural goods crossing the Rhine River from Germany…

   …Agricultural Minister Stéphane Le Foll said about 10 percent of livestock producers in France are on the brink of bankruptcy, describing the situation as an “agricultural crisis.” Paris says the combined debt of agricultural workers are about €1.0 billion (US$1.1 billion).

   ….On Wednesday Paris unveiled new emergency package of about €600 million in tax relief and loan guarantees to tackle the farmers’ problem.

   “The aim of the government’s plan is to deal with the emergency but also to bring sustainable solutions,” Prime Minister Manuel Valls said.

   However, the farmers remain critical of the plan, claiming it doesn’t meet the needs of French agricultural sector.

   “The measures announced by the government … none of them deals with the distortion of competition” with farmers from other countries, Sander said.

   …According to political analysts Pierre Schweitzer, the government emergency plan contradicts the key principles of the EU.

   “One of the principles of the European Union is free trade and if you want to buy somewhere else in the world and somewhere else in Europe, then you are allowed to. The French are free producers… they would like to be able to be allowed to encourage their own production.”

   ( given that farmers in Europe are struggling with the Russian retaliatory boycott on farming produce , particularly dairy….why did John Key advise Fonterra NOT to trade with Russia…when Russia was OPEN to our dairy trade?…( and the trade boycott against Russia is politically inspired by USA)…have our dairy farmers been well served by jonkey Nactional ?…will some go to the wall because of this decision and be forced to sell to Chinese and other foreigners?

   http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/world/63925190/russian-trade-threat-ongoing

   http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/agribusiness/10363174/Russia-wants-our-cheese-but-at-what-cost

   “Now, Russia has signed a deal for China to supply a massive amount of dairy to Russia – using 115,000 hectares of leased Russian land in the Transbaikal region. NZ totally cut out thanks to the short sightedness of our elites.

   China has started to build a joint Chinese-Russian livestock agricultural complex. A hundred thousand cows are planned to be bred in a project costing one billion Yuan.

   http://www.rt.com/business/270463-china-russia-milk-farm/ ”

   (see Colonial Viper , The Standard, 17 July )

2. No-one wants to read this so my advice is to look away now!!!, the Reserve Bank which collects data from Banks trading in New Zealand has this to say,

   ”Reserve Bank data shows that in the first half of 2015 Banks approved 41,013 Home loans”,(i am going to assume here that this was nationwide),”31,123 loans were approved for Investors while 9890 loans were approved for First Home Buyers”,

   SO, offshore Chinese investors driving prices of New Zealand property through the roof, Really???, only if those off-shore investors are applying for and getting loans from Banks trading in New Zealand,

   Quick shout me down this does not at all adhere to the ongoing narrative,

   I pointed out last week that on RadioNZ National ”the Mike and Matty show”, ex-Labour Party President Mike Williams had let slip the info that he had recently bought a property,(and lamented the lack of further information),

   This week, the hypocrite, because that is what Williams in particular exposes himself as, said this on the same RadioNZ ”Mathew and I have both taken advantage of rising Auckland house prices in the last 3 months”,

   Williams of the two faces has also been vocal on that very same RadioNZ half hour defending Phil Twyfords use of Chinese sounding names as proof of massive offshore speculation in Auckland’s overinflated housing market knowing all the while it is the likes of HIM and the Tory Hooton that are the majority driving force of that house price over-inflation,

   Yeah i know, what am i saying here, can’t let any amount of actual fact get in the way of a good old bit of dog-whistling right, especially if ”RUMOR” has it that Labour have gained a massive leap in polls that they pay to tell them how great they are doing,

   Win at all cost has a price, those who since the 1984 Labour Government have repeatedly paid that price will continue to do so….

3. I think I just heard Bill English accuse the Labour Party of being “intellectually bankrupt”. Geez Wayne! From a man that doesn’t have the capability of rubbing 2 critical, original thoughts together – but one that relies on fading ideology and spin-speak and invented language to sound like there’s a degree of intelligence!
   Did I ‘mis-hear’ ? Did he just try to ‘mis-sell’ me something ? Is he incapable of various trends and ‘learnings’ outside his little buble and echo chamber?
   Parly Armunt Debates immediately following Question Time (or “QT” for those in the bubble).
   Watch it if you’d like a bit of humour. The guy looked like he was about to reach orgasm
   Still, no doubt he’s got a little ‘wifey’ waiting in the wings with a replacement pair of Y-fronts

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