Farmers' stress
Federated Farmers offices around the country have been fielding calls from farmers, stress ing that (MAF statistics on average farm incomes) being quoted are before both tax and expenditure - and that in some cases this has not been made clear to the public. A sheep and beef farm income for example, quoted as $126,000 gross, has to have over $98,000 in stock costs and farm expenditure deducted to arrive at a net income figure. The remaining $28,000 has to be taxed, repay farm debt and cover any capital purchases before the farmer is left with actual income.
Farmers most upset that the gross figures being given may be misinterpreted are those in the farming regions most severely hit by drought. Farm 'income' in these areas is in fact negative - and they believe releasing national average income figures gives no indication of the true situation, which is very regional. Federated Farmers Policy Manager Owen Symmans said last week while export earnings are at higher levels than ever for some farm produce, net farm incomes are only up by an average 1 per cent this year.
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Bibliographic details
Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 302, 1 September 1989, Page 5
Word Count
186Farmers' stress Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 302, 1 September 1989, Page 5
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