Commonwealth Government figures get their feet dirty.
eastAUSmilk was pleased to help Commonwealth Government figures get their feet dirty as they checked out a working dairy farm last week.
Glamorgan Vale dairy farm Tim Beattie hosted Treasurer Hon Dr Jim Chalmers MP, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator the Hon Murray Watt, and local Member of Parliament Hon Shayne Neumann, and showed them over his dairying operation.
The three Labor Members of Parliament were given a thorough briefing from Tim on how the enterprise operates, and the issues impacting dairy farmers.
eastAUSmilk President Matt Trace, Board member Kay Tommerup, and member Errol Gerber were also on hand to help ensure the visitors took away the best possible understanding of industry issues.
The eastAUSmilk team pressed the Labor MPs on many issues of great importance to dairy farmers: the behaviour of major retailers, inadequacies of current competition regulation and the Dairy Industry Code, business resilience and planning, on-farm technology uptake, animal welfare, and more.
The four dairy farmers spoke firsthand of the fears of dairy farmers across three states at this proposal for Coles to purchase milk processing plants from Saputo in New South Wales and Victoria. Such an unprecedented level of control over the supply chain would allow Coles to severely impact the business of competitors, and once more drive farmgate milk prices down to poverty levels, as they and Woolworths did with dollar-a-litre milk. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is currently reviewing the proposed purchase but can review only narrow competition issues.
eastAUSmilk wants the Commonwealth Government to address this proposed purchase by looking more broadly at fairness, the need for a sustainable and profitable dairy industry, regional community resilience, and the community’s ongoing demand for locally sourced fresh milk.
While the MPs listened intently and asked good questions, dairy farmers will be looking for concrete action.
Mike Smith, eastAUSmilk Government Relations Manager