Falling milk production, declining dairy farmers - where to for Queensland?
The Australian dairy industry has seen a continued decline in the production of milk and this continued decline is showing no signs of abatement.
Dairy Australia, the dairy industry’s research and development corporation has stated that there was a 8.3% decrease in July. At the same time the year-to-date drop in NSW was negative 12.6% while Queensland was a negative 14.3% year-to-date.
The constant pressures being faced by dairy farmers are contributing to dairy farms being sold and farmers exiting the dairy industry or moving into other commodity groups such as beef.
In recent years, droughts and floods have been constant. Now the Bureau of Meteorology is predicting a strong chance of a third La Nina weather pattern adding to these woes.
Yet farmers generally and dairy farmers specifically remain eternally optimistic about the future of their farms and the communities that underpin them.
In September last year, the NSW Government released the NSW Dairy Industry Action Plan. The plan has put forward 28 recommendations to revitalise the NSW dairy industry over 4 themes.
Like NSW, Queensland dairy industry is in the process of developing a northern dairy industry plan which is intended to also revitalise the dairy industry in this state and return profitability and sustainability into the dairy industry.
This plan is intended to cover the subtropical region and is being driven by dairy industry advocacy body eastAUSmilk in consultation with Dairy Australia, Subtropical Dairy and dairy industry stakeholders including processors and the state government.
The draft terms of reference have been developed with Dairy Australia, Subtropical Dairy and supported by the eastAUSmilk board. It is intended to be overseen by a steering committee with an independent chair who has an understanding of the Queensland dairy industry.
The steering committee will establish a number of sub committees to consider issues such as pre farmgate competitiveness; market dynamics and opportunities; and the policy and enabling environment.
The failure to revitalise the Queensland dairy industry is not an option. Falling milk production and declining dairy farmer numbers must be halted.
The dairy industry players including advocacy body eastAUSmilk will assist in addressing those concerns and start that dialogue.
Shaughn Morgan, Co-CEO eastAUSmilk