YOU SAY: Border Mail letters to the editor

Cement production results in a huge environmental burden of CO2 and concrete retains so much heat in an increasingly hot climate. More and more of urban space is occupied by impervious materials such as concrete which don’t allow water to percolate to the soil. This results in flooding when heavy rain events occur as stormwater is directed to drains and gutters.

Trees and plants are not only homes for life other than humans, but vital for us all to survive, as they take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen. I despair when I look at new estates in Wodonga and see so little vegetation in these hot concrete jungles. When will the penny drop that the equation of sun + chlorophyll + CO2 = O2 + life.

George Krooglik would do well to do some research before he criticises the farmers for the price of lamb cutlets ('Fat chance of buying lamb', The Border Mail, February 28). If the farmers were actually getting $50 per kilo for lambs they would be realising $1500 per lamb instead of perhaps $120 out of which comes the cost of cartage to the market and other overheads.

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Before they even get to market, lambs and their mothers have to be fed provided they have the hay which may have to be bought. When you buy any food it goes through many processes before it gets to the point of sale. In the case of meat from farm to market, to abattoir, to wholesaler, to supermarket or butcher shop where it is wrapped and one pays for it.

A well-fleshed lamb live weight might make a two-thirds its size carcass, off that you get 26 cutlets/chops, one neck, two shoulders [forequarter], two legs, four shanks, loin, rump, lamb's fry [liver] and kidneys.  The last time I looked farmers were realising about $3.75 per kg for their lambs. 

George Krooglik should go down to the saleyards at Barnawatha and see for himself how much these "greedy farmers" actually get for their lambs, before he goes off accusing them of price gouging.

Farmers have no say in what price the supermarkets or butchers put on the product once it leaves the saleyards. I say to George, you have no idea what your talking about. Farmers don't even have a say into what price they get at the saleyards.

I have been prompted to write after reading 'Fat chance of buying lamb' from George Krooglik, in letters to the editor on February 28.

I would like to point out to George that the farmers are not to blame for the price of lamb. Once the farmer sells the beast, that's where the farmers' involvement ends. 

The animals are slaughtered, packaged and sold onto the supermarkets and they all put their prices on top.  So do not blame the farmers for price gouging as that is simply untrue. I originally came off the farm and know just how much the farmers get for their beasts.