State Dairy Farmer Organisations (SDFOs), including New South Wales Farmers’ Dairy Committee, EastAusMilk, South Australian Dairyfarmers Association, TasFarmers, United Dairyfarmers of Victoria, and WAFarmers, have reaffirmed their united commitment to a single national representative body for the dairy industry, through Australian Dairy Farmers (ADF).
ADF CEO Stephen Sheridan said SDFO leaders from across the six dairy producing states met in Melbourne in conjunction with the ADF Board on Thursday 19th June to discuss the future of national dairy representation and the significant issues facing the dairy industry.
The state representatives held a positive and constructive meeting, unanimously agreeing to support changes to the ADF constitution that will strengthen the organisation and ensure their ongoing support for ADF as single national representative body. They recognised the need for unity and strength, especially in these times of adversity, and that the states must work together to be successful in tackling the key issues facing their industry.
All the SDFOs, in collaboration with ADF, are working on a range of issues from floods in northern NSW to drought in southern states, along with increasing input costs, low opening prices, cheap overseas imports, flat retail pricing and global trade uncertainty.
The state member representatives unanimously agreed they need to move forward collectively, with ADF as their national body, to ensure dairy farmers have an effective, efficient, and sustainable national representative body into the future.
“Our discussions reached a consensus agreement that we need a strong peak body to act as the single representative voice for dairy farmers,” NSW Farmers Dairy Committee Chair Malcolm Holm said. “Dairy has to run its own race representing dairy farmers.”
South Australian Dairyfarmers’ Association (SADA) President Robert Brokenshire echoed the comments, saying it was pleasing to reach a consensus position regarding a future ADF structure.
“We will continue to work together with an aim to fine-tune ADF’s structure and constitution over the coming months,” Mr Brokenshire said. “We need to look to the future and what is in the interests of all dairy farmers.”
EastAUSmilk CEO Eric Danzi said: “We need a national dairy body that is outcomes-focussed, and I’m glad this can continue moving forward with all the state bodies represented at the table”.
United Dairyfarmers of Victoria President Bernie Free said: “it was reassuring that all the states are committed to a united dairy farmers advocacy organisation, this was a key platform for myself when I ran for election”.
“We need to get on with the business of dealing with the very real issues affecting our dairy farmers today and into the future,” Mr Free said.
WA Farmers Dairy Section President Ian Noakes said: “with so many issues facing the dairy sector at the moment, including escalating input and feed costs and disappointing opening milk prices, a unified dairy farmer voice is more important than ever”.
TasFarmers Dairy Council Chair Geoff Cox said: “I am so pleased all the state members were able to come to agreement and that we can now move forward as a collective group as all supported the constitutional change required to ensure we have a sustainable and representative body”.
ADF President Ben Bennett said discussion centred on how to respond to the pressing issues facing farmers, and the critical importance of unity and collective representation to ensure the dairy industry remains resilient and influential at a national level.
“At a time when ag advocacy is under threat, it was great to see ADF’s state members reaffirm their desire for a single, strong national dairy farmer voice,” Mr Bennett said.
“We all recognise that unity is essential to effectively represent and advocate for the industry and to tackle the very big issues affecting farmers’ livelihoods.”
Mr Bennett said ADF would work with its state member organisations to ensure it evolves with the needs of our dairy farmers front of mind to achieve the most effective, sustainable, and representative ADF possible.State Dairy Farming Organisations reaffirm commitment to a national voice through ADF