The Australian Dairy Industry Council (ADIC) has recognised Victorian dairy farmer and advocate, Shirley Harlock for her contribution to the industry, with the 2015 Outstanding Service Award. The award was presented at this morning’s Dairy Industry Leaders Breakfast held in Melbourne, Victoria.

The award celebrates the lives and careers of industry participants whose contribution has significantly shaped the dairy community and beyond for the benefit of the whole value chain.

Outgoing ADIC Chair, Noel Campbell said Mrs Harlock has been key player in shaping the policy landscape for Australian dairy since joining the industry over four decades ago.

“Shirley has consistently endeavoured to grow and promote dairy’s valuable contribution to Australian communities. She is a valuable leader in the industry, whose enthusiasm, expertise and professionalism are exemplary,” Mr Campbell said.

“Shirley has a strong belief in advancing industry change through science and innovation. This has seen her advocate for the continued investment in research and development to industry, government and the broader community.

“For over four decades, Shirley has been extensively involved with industry representation, helping to find practical, effective solutions to its challenges. Her philosophy that “if you’re not involved, you’re part of the problem” has importantly meant that Shirley brought many in the dairy community along with her.”

Shirley has held local and executive positions with United Dairyfarmers of Victoria, and was a Director of Australian Dairy Farmers (ADF). She also served as Chair of Dairy Food Safety Victoria for ten years, during which she devoted her time to demonstrating dairy’s commitment to high quality, safe products. In 2005, Shirley was appointed Chair of the Dairy Australia Future Dairy project, charged with research, development and adoption of robotic technology for Australian dairy farms.

In partnership with her husband John, Shirley continues to actively operate dairy farms in Warrnambool, Victoria and support farms in South Australia. Shirley’s involvement continues as chair of the Sustainable Agricultural Fund.

On behalf of the entire dairy supply chain, the ADIC congratulated Shirley Harlock on her remarkable achievements, wishing her every success going forward.

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More than 200 of Australia’s leading dairy representatives from across the whole value chain, gathered in Melbourne this morning for the annual Australian Dairy Industry Council (ADIC) Leaders Breakfast.

Centred on the theme “The dairy domino effect: leading healthy, sustainable, profitable communities”, the event explored the interdependent nature of dairy’s future success and building recognition for the industry’s social and economic value.

Guest speaker and rural sociologist, Dr Neil Barr told industry leaders that the decline in farmer populations over the past decade posed no threat to the future of Australian dairy.

“Dairying is the future for young farmers in Australia. The demand for opportunities is there, the industry just needs to work on developing the pathways to get them involved.”

Outgoing ADIC Chair, Noel Campbell highlighted that new opportunities for growth and prosperity brought with them the responsibility to demonstrate dairy’s value to people, the land, livestock and the global community.

“Today we celebrate the enormous contribution Australian dairy makes to economic and social wellbeing; its quality, diversity and the part it plays in building vibrant communities across the country,” Mr Campbell said.

“The extent to which the Australian community understands the story behind the tubs of yoghurt and flavoured milk in their fridges will directly impact their trust and investment in our industry’s future. We need to share our industry’s story with our communities, our consumers and our customers if we are to achieve our 2025 Dairy Vision: prosperous, trusted and world renowned for nutrition.”

“Collectively, dairy demonstrates its value through initiatives such as the Dairy Industry Sustainability Framework, as well as the search for the Legendairy Capital. It is essential that our industry continues to build on such initiatives,” Mr Campbell said.

Guests also heard from a panel including Senator Richard Colbeck, Corangamite Councillor Chris O’Connor, CEO of Bega Cheese Barry Irvin, Co-owner of Myrtleford Butter Factory Naomi Ingleton and Gipps Dairy Director Dr Sinead De Gooyer. The panel considered Australia’s dairy commitment to sustainable practices and ensuring it remains a productive partner with the Australian community.

The overwhelming message from the panel was that as Australia’s number one value-adding agricultural industry dairy has a responsibility to demonstrate its commitment to healthy, sustainable and profitable communities.

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The Australian Dairy Industry Council (ADIC) has welcomed news that the Senate today passed the Bills necessary for the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) to enter the final processes before ratification.

Once entry into force occurs, Australian dairy exporters will experience the first year of tariff reductions for dairy exports to China as agreed under the ChAFTA agreement. This will be followed by a further reduction in tariffs on 1 January 2016.

ADIC Chair, Noel Campbell applauded the support for the ChAFTA, praising Federal Parliament for recognising the importance of swiftly implementing the agreement.

“China is our number one dairy market by volume with 136,441 tonnes of dairy product worth AUD $424 million exported to Greater China in 2014/15. This is 18 per cent of total Australian dairy exports by volume for the calendar year,” 1 Mr Campbell said.

“The ChAFTA places Australia on a more level playing field with key international competitors. Once the agreement enters into force it will enhance the competitive position of Australian dairy. This is good for growth, for jobs, for the economy and a boon for our export market.”

The dairy industry, led by the ADIC, has fought hard for the implementation of ChAFTA and is pleased to see bipartisan support and collaboration for ratifying this important trade agreement.

The ADIC thanked Minister for Trade and Investment, Andrew Robb, and his team of negotiators as well as the Australian government, industry and the broader dairy community for its ongoing support and for working to ratify the deal in the 2015 calendar year.

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The Australian Dairy Industry Council (ADIC) has welcomed news that the Government and Labor Party have reached an accommodation to allow ratification of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) this year.

ADIC Chair, Noel Campbell praised Federal Parliament for recognising the importance of swiftly implementing the agreement to ensure Australia doesn’t fall further behind its competitors who already have an FTA with China.

“It is important the ChAFTA is implemented this year so our industry will be able to take advantage of two tariff cuts in rapid succession. Once the agreement enters into force it will enhance the competitive position of Australian dairy. This is good for growth, for jobs, for the economy and a boon for our export market,” Mr Campbell said.

“This deal is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to grow business and our communities. The Australian dairy industry is particularly well-placed to take advantage of the enormous opportunities that will flow from our historic trade deal with China.”

The dairy industry, led by the ADIC, has fought hard for the implementation of ChAFTA and is pleased to see bipartisan support and collaboration for ratifying this important trade agreement.

The ADIC thanked Minister for Trade and Investment, Andrew Robb, and his team of negotiators as well as the Australian government, industry and the broader dairy community for its ongoing support and for working to ensure that the China FTA is ratified in 2016.

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Shona McPherson, Media Officer

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The Australian Dairy Industry Council (ADIC) has welcomed the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties (JSCOT) recommendation that Australia ratify the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) – an agreement that will deliver billions of dollars in additional export value to the Australian economy.

ADIC Chair, Noel Campbell said the deal recognises dairy as one of the nation’s export strongholds and must be ratified as soon as possible to open up markets for Australian dairy producers.

“This is a genuine free trade agreement that when implemented will set Australian dairy products on a path to full trade liberalisation into China,” Mr Campbell said.

“This means more jobs across the industry, both on farm and in processing plants. The flow- on effects of this growth would undoubtedly benefit the rural and regional communities where dairy plays an important role.”

Mr Campbell said that swiftly implementing the agreement will ensure Australia doesn’t fall further behind its competitors who already have a free trade agreement with China.

“Ratifying the agreement before the end of the year will mean that Australian dairy can take advantage of the tariff reduction timeline as of 1 January 2016. Any further delay in the parliamentary process will cost the Australian dairy industry up to $76 million in tariff savings for Australian origin product,” Mr Campbell explained.

“It’s vital that Australia acts quickly to seize the opportunity for early implementation of this agreement. We must get the ball rolling – every day of unnecessary delay holds Australia’s growth and prosperity back.”

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The second annual Australian Dairy Industry Council (ADIC) Dairy Dinner brought together over 100 parliamentarians, advisors, departmental members and industry stakeholders to celebrate Australian dairy’s innovative and dynamic value chain, in Canberra last night.

Centred on the theme of Australian Dairy, Thinking Beyond the Box, the dinner provided an exciting opportunity for parliamentarians and industry to discuss the role innovation plays in helping the industry grow and strengthen.

With more than $2 billion dollars invested in farm science and technologies since 1980, innovation has always been pivotal to boosting dairy’s profitability and productivity.
ADIC Chair, Noel Campbell said that dairy is a dynamic and growing industry, one that more than ever needs to push boundaries.

“As an industry, dairy is working to ensure that the benefits of research, development and extension reach our whole value chain. For every dollar that our industry invests in R,D&E our farmers and processors see three dollars in returns,” Mr Campbell said.

“Increasingly volatile market conditions, where input costs continue to go up and capital for investment is limited mean encouraging uptake of innovative technologies is a challenge. Shared government and industry investment in R,D&E is critical to our success.”

The dinner highlighted the strong connection between Australian dairy and parliament, with key parliamentarians expressing their support for helping dairy stay ahead of the game. Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Barnaby Joyce said the Coalition Government shared the industry’s commitment to innovation as a way of improving dairy farmer productivity and profitability.

“Through our Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper, the Coalition Government is delivering a range of initiatives across a number of key areas to strengthen dairying in Australia such as boosting funding for R&D, biosecurity and water infrastructure, developing more innovative and collaborative business models for farmers and establishing an ACCC Commissioner for Agriculture.

“In addition to the White Paper measures, the conclusion of free trade deals with Korea, Japan and China, as well the recent Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement will help to significantly grow demand for Australian dairy products well into the future,” Minister Joyce said today.

Shadow Minister for Agriculture, the Hon. Joel Fitzgibbon commended the industry on working to progress the Dairy Industry Vision for 2025.

“Dairy is increasingly part of Australia’s economic future and it is great to join so many industry participants who share a vision for a more innovative, efficient, and sustainably profitable sector.”

Leaders in Australian dairy innovation, including CEO of the Dairy Futures CRC, Dr David Nation as well as dairy farmer and 2014 Nuffield Scholar, Aubrey Pellett provided guests with insight into a few key advancements in dairy technology and science.

Guests, including ADIC directors, state farmer representative leaders, executives from dairy’s processors, as well as members of parliament, enjoyed a dairy inspired menu designed to showcase the industry’s dynamic, world-class produce, including this years Grand Dairy Award cheese winners.

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The Australian Dairy Industry Council (ADIC) has acknowledged the completion of negotiations under the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), noting modest but important gains made for the Australian dairy industry in improving access to global markets.

ADIC Chair, Noel Campbell said the industry appreciated the dedication of the Minister for Trade and Investment, the Hon. Andrew Robb MP and his team of negotiators, in continuing to seek trade agreements that benefit the Australian economy.

“On behalf of the Australian dairy industry I would like to extend my thanks to Minister Robb and the Australian negotiators for maintaining strong communication with industry throughout the TPP negotiations. They have done their utmost to balance the competing interest of industry and government across the 12 nations involved throughout a challenging process,” Mr Campbell said.

“The conclusion of the TPP continues a historic period of increased trade liberalisation over the past few years. The ADIC looks forward to reviewing the agreement in its entirety to fully quantify the benefits for dairy but early analysis indicates the TPP will improve opportunities in key export markets including Japan.”

The ADIC remains committed to working with Minister Robb and the Australian government to better trade market access for Australia’s dairy exports.

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Shona McPherson, Media Officer

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The Australian Dairy Industry Council (ADIC) has welcomed the Coalition Government’s delivery of five new Agricultural Counsellors in overseas markets, as a positive step toward addressing non-tariff barriers to trade.

The ADIC has been a strong advocate for increased resources toward overcoming technical barriers to trade in overseas markets and is pleased to see the Government’s acknowledgement of this issue.

A recent report commissioned by Dairy Australia, suggested that if the aggregated sum of all technical barriers to trade imposed by countries importing Australian product were reduced it could benefit global dairy trade by up to $1.57 billion.This amount includes the opportunity costs resulting from having technical barriers to trade in place as well as the potential gains from their removal.

ADIC Chair, Noel Campbell said the announcement of three new positions in Vietnam, Malaysia and the Middle East, as well as additional postings in Bangkok and China, would help the industry make the most of recent trade agreements as well as open up access to emerging markets.

“The appointment of these Counsellors will assist Australian dairy to promote its high quality, safe product in growth markets across South East Asia, the Middle East and of course China where there is growing interest in our products,” Mr Campbell said.

“It is also a positive step toward addressing the vast number of technical barriers to trade in these markets. The extent to which our industry is able to seize opportunities delivered through recently completed and pending trade agreements will depend upon addressing non- tariff barriers.

These Counsellors will help to improve the flow of Australian dairy products to international markets. It will also ensure that Australian dairy farmers can attain a fair price for their product.”

The ADIC looks forward to working with all overseas Counsellors, in conjunction with Government to promote Australian dairy overseas and ensure improved access to key export markets.

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Shona McPherson, Media Officer

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The Australian Dairy Industry Council (ADIC) has welcomed the introduction of the Bills to ratify the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) by the Minister for Trade and Investment, the Hon. Andrew Robb, into the House of Representatives today.

ADIC Chair, Noel Campbell said the Labor party needs to put politics aside to ensure that the deal is ratified as soon as possible.

“I commend Minister Robb for introducing these Bills and urge both sides of Parliament to pass it promptly,” Mr Campbell said.

If the ChAFTA is ratified this year, the dairy industry will see a growth in job creation across the value chain, both on farm and in the processing plants. The ADIC expects that around 600-700 jobs will be created within the first year of ratification. The flow-on effects of this growth would undoubtedly benefit the rural and regional communities where dairy plays an important role.

The Australian dairy industry has fought hard for the ChAFTA, and remains committed to working with both sides of parliament to ensure the deal is ratified before the end of the 2015 calendar year.

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The Australian Dairy Industry Council (ADIC) has welcomed Federal Parliament’s passing of the 2015 Water Amendment Bill, which secures the water buybacks cap in the Murray Darling Basin at 1500 gigalitres (GL).

The ADIC advocated strongly for bipartisan support for the Bill. It will provide Australian dairy farmers and processors in the Murray Darling Basin with certainty about future water availability. This is essential to sustaining their businesses.

The ADIC notes under the legislation environmental water will continue to be recovered through water-saving infrastructure projects. This will benefit the environment, farmers and local communities more effectively than buybacks.

ADIC Chair, Noel Campbell said the certainty of the buybacks cap would give farmers’ the confidence to invest in their future sustainability.

“Almost 2000 dairy farms and 16 major milk processing factories are located in the Murray Darling Basin. More than 12,000 people in the region rely on the industry for their livelihood,” Mr Campbell said.

“97 % of those farms relying on irrigation for pasture and feed production. Capping buybacks at 1500 GL gives farmers assurance about how the Basin Plan will achieve its targets that they will be able to successfully adapt their practices to produce more milk with less water.”

The ADIC recognised the passing of the Commonwealth legislation as an acknowledgement of the importance water access plays across the dairy industry and agriculture more broadly.

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Failure to ratify the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) before the end of the 2015 calendar year will deliver an enormous blow to the confidence of the entire dairy value chain, said the Australian Dairy Industry Council (ADIC) in a submission to the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee inquiry today.

ADIC Chair, Noel Campbell said that any delay in implementation of the ChAFTA will irreparably damage industry confidence on farms and in factories.

“The ChAFTA is a good deal for Australian farmers and it’s a good deal for the broader community. It provides increased opportunities for Australian businesses to grow by opening up access to the world’s largest dairy import market,” Mr Campbell said.

“If we fail to implement this deal by 31 December 2015 the Australian dairy industry will unnecessarily incur tens of millions of dollars in tariffs that would otherwise be avoided.”

If the ChAFTA is ratified this year, the dairy industry will see a growth in job creation across the value chain, both on farm and in the processing plants. The ADIC expects that around 600-700 jobs will be created within the first year of ratification. The flow-on effects of this growth would undoubtedly benefit the rural and regional communities where dairy plays an important role.

Implementation this year would also mean the elimination of tariffs on Australian dairy products to China worth approximately $60 million. Mr Campbell said the decline in bipartisan support for the ChAFTA’s ratification was deeply concerning.

“The longer we wait to ratify this deal the further we will fall behind key global competitors in this important export market. It is also likely that our reputation as an open trading nation with low levels of sovereign risk will be jeopardised.

“Above all if the ChAFTA is not ratified this year it will severely damage the confidence of our producers, setting our industry back for years to come.”

The Australian dairy industry has fought hard for the ChAFTA, and remains committed to working with both sides of parliament to ensure the deal is ratified before the end of the 2015 calendar year.

Media Contact:

Shona McPherson, Media Officer

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E: media@australiandairyfarmers.com.au

The Australian Dairy Industry Council (ADIC) has reiterated the importance of ratifying the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) within the 2015 calendar year, to ensure the benefits can reach Australian producers as quickly as possible.

Appearing at the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties (JSCOT) inquiry into the ChAFTA this morning, ADIC Chair Noel Campbell said any delay in implementation of the deal would cost the industry tens of millions in lost tariff savings and potentially 600-700 industry jobs.

“We were pleased that the Chinese and Australian Governments reached an agreement in November 2014 after over a decade of negotiations. This was a positive step toward securing Australia’s trade within the growing Chinese market and recognises dairy as one of the nations export strongholds,” Mr Campbell said.

“It is now essential that we move from words to action. Any delay in the parliamentary process will cost the Australian dairy industry another year of benefits. This will make it more difficult for our industry to compete and gain further market share.”

Mr Campbell said that parliamentary support for the agreement, that sees the removal of all tariffs on dairy imports over a decade, remains essential.

“This agreement has been ten years in the making and will bring substantial market access benefits to not only dairy, but Australian agriculture more broadly. We urge all those indicating concerns with the ChAFTA to recognise the opportunities the agreement offers to the Australian community and economy as a whole.”

With a long record of innovation and adaptation to changing conditions and markets, Australia’s dairy producers are in a strong position to meet the particular demands of boosting exports to China and growing its market share.

Until the ChAFTA is ratified, however, Australian dairy remains at a competitive disadvantage to key competitors that already have trade agreements with China. In particular, after achieving an FTA in 2008, NZ has seen a more than eight-fold increase in the total volume of its dairy exports to China.

“We need the ChAFTA to be ratified as soon as possible to ensure we do not fall further behind,” Mr Campbell said.

“The ADIC looks forward to working with both sides of Parliament to ensure the implementation of the ChAFTA by 31 December 2015.”

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Shona McPherson, Media Officer

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E: media@australiandairyfarmers.com.au