Blueprint for Agriculture Forum – Dairy Ready To Go

eastAUSmilk attend the DPI’s Forum to kick-off a process to develop a new 25-year Blueprint for Agriculture, with the objective to increase Qld farm-gate outputs to $30 billion by 2030.  This is a welcomed and ambitious goal, but it is definitely a stretch one that will need significant Government support and industry buy-in.

The target signals Government’s understanding that agriculture has more to contribute struggling regional economies and communities, and at a State-wide and national level to increase exports and feed our growing domestic markets.

At the Forum, eastAUSmilk advocated the draft Qld Dairy Plan - that awaits the Minister’s sign-off – as dairy’s contribution to the blueprint by increasing milk production and industry sustainability. 

The draft QDP was developed and agreed with input from DPI, processors and dairy farmers, with industry wide agreement on what dairy farmers need to grow and thrive.

After the Forum – where the Minister stressed his priority for industry involvement - we are still concerned that the approval and funding of our draft QDP will get caught up in a protracted bureaucratic process.

Our ask is small in the scheme of the total Qld budget - only $4m over 4 years – but the impact will be substantial and consistent with the theme of the proposed Blueprint. 

We understand why the Minister wants all sectors involved in his process to develop the Blueprint, but each sector is different and has its own challenges and solutions.  Dairy has already done the hard yards with his Department to identify what is needed – we should not be held back any longer.

eastAUSmilk will continue to advocate this position to the Minister and his Department – so we can get on with the job.

Joe Bradley, President eastAUSmilk