THIS week, I've seen several reminders of how quickly circumstances can change due to events completely beyond our control.
While bushfires, hailstorms and floods are obvious examples of this, it hasn't been natural disasters that have got me thinking this week.
A new report complied by Mecardo found the three-month ban on live sheep exports to the Middle East cost the industry $83.6 million - with the financial impact on WA farmers calculated at up to $15m. This ban was put in place due to concerning footage filmed on board a live export vessel - something well beyond the control of farmers.
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Most recently, the spread of the coronavirus has caused alarm across the world. But beyond the obvious health concerns, the virus has had a devastating impact on our rock lobster industry. According to a report I heard earlier in the week, SA rock lobster fishermen have had demand for their product virtually vanish overnight, with China the usual destination for more than 90 per cent of their product. With no one gathering at restaurants in China, demand for lobster has crashed.
Unfortunately for local rock lobster fishermen, these events are beyond their control and look unlikely to improve any time soon.
In today's increasingly connected world, what happens across the globe can have a ripple effect or, in the case of the rock lobster sector, it can feel more like a tsunami.
The global marketplace is incredibly complex and competitive. Alternative markets for agricultural goods cannot just be found overnight, as it takes years to build trust and relationships with trading partners.
Whenever overseas markets contract or almost vanish overnight, calls for the excess production to be absorbed on the domestic market usually follow. Unfortunately, such calls often simplify the issue and overlook the major differences between overseas and domestic customer preferences.
Who knows what sector will be blindsided by an unforeseeable event next? Sometimes the unpredictable nature of the world we live in doesn't bear thinking about.
But, closer to home, there is one change I'm hoping to see in the coming days - rain in our pastoral areas instead of clear skies. Bureau of Meteorology forecasts look promising for the North West Pastoral areas, and although this won't be a silver bullet following years of drought, it will hopefully be a step in the right direction.
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