What will politicians in NSW give dairy?
The NSW state election on Saturday 25th March provides an opportunity for advocacy bodies, such as eastAUSmilk, to seek commitments from politicians on behalf of its members.
This will be no different when Queensland goes to the polls on 26th October 2024.
In NSW, it is critical that government and the labor opposition recognises the pivotal role that dairy farmers play in the 'day-to-day' lives of its citizens and the nutritional value of milk for the community.
The current NSW dairy position is grim, with Dairy Australia showing NSW milk production declining in year-to-date figures of -11.8% for January and the number of dairy farms declining from over 1,700 farms in 2000 to under 500 dairy farms now.
What is required are forward-thinking, positive and collaborative election promises to address the underlying systemic issues within the NSW dairy industry.
The NSW labor opposition has committed to appointing a statutory and independent NSW Dairy and Fresh Food Commissioner to revitalise the NSW dairy industry.
The NSW labor opposition has promised that the Commissioner would oversee, in the first year:
An effective mediation and arbitration process for NSW farmers in consultation with local industry and the ACCC (in conjunction with the mandatory code for dairy);
A truth in labelling policy for dairy and fresh food;
A model uniform national standard to deliver consistency in testing, sampling and the calibration of equipment used in fresh milk production to ensure a fair farm price;
Review best practice business models, review contracts and plans for long term industry sustainability as well as better competition and succession planning for dairy families; and
Convening a whole of dairy industry roundtable to review the state of the dairy industry and the 28 recommendations arising from the NSW dairy action plan.
This is an important and pivotal initiative. It is deserving of bipartisan support.
While the NSW liberal and nationals government has not made specific dairy announcements, it has announced increased funding to the Farm Innovation Fund, doubling the amount farmers will be able to access; as well as expanding fee-free training through its investment in upskilling and growing the agricultural workforce to livestock industry.
Prior to you voting on Saturday, ask questions of your politicians and be informed about what each political party will provide to agriculture generally and dairy specifically. Every vote counts for a long-term sustainable dairy industry.
Shaughn Morgan, Co-CEO eastAUSmilk