PROMOTING Australian dairy products as “premium” goods should be a priority for the industry, a leading Limestone Coast dairy farmer believes.
South Australian Dairyfarmers Association (SADA) president John Hunt was one of the 135 participants at national two-day workshop on the Australian Dairy Plan.
Farmers, processors, retailers, industry experts, peak bodies and service providers converged on Melbourne for the seminar, which follows 25 regional consultations held across the nation, attracting around 1000 people.
Mr Hunt said talking points from the national workshop were in-line with regional meetings held in South Australia.
“The good thing is the plan is pretty much spot on with the SADA plan that was released earlier this year,” he said.
“So we know we are on the right track with what those in the industry want and how to do it.
“The ideas from across the country are also pretty much exactly the same as what we discussed during the ADP workshop in Mount Gambier.
“This shows we all have a clear plan going forward and the majority is on board with that.”
Over the course of the latest workshop, key themes recognised were transformational change to reform, industry structures and strengthened advocacy, an increase in transparency, marketing, supporting the next generation of farmers and building farmer capabilities.
Mr Hunt said the significant ideas raised showed the industry’s understanding of itself and willingness to further develop as a whole.
“It shows the stakeholders really understand what we can and cannot change,” he said.
“They know we cannot control drought or weather events even though these things are making times tough for farmers, but we can advocate for the industry.
“One thing that I was really pleased with was the idea we had to have well-funded advocacy, which is voluntary unlike your research and development levy.
“Having that one voice to speak for the industry I think was a strong point which is really positive going forward.”
Mr Hunt also highlighted marketing as one of the key ideas during the workshops.
“We need to push that idea of a premium Australian product,” he said.
“It is hard when you can import cheese and sell it dirt cheap but we need to remind the public what they are paying for and where the extra money goes.
“We are well-known for our high quality products in Australia so we need to really make that a priority to educate our consumers on why that is.
“It goes hand-in-hand with more industry transparency and spreading a positive image of dairy.
“I think we are seeing a bit more understanding of what the Australian dairy industry means with the prices increase in homebrand milk this year, but it is only a small step in the right direction and not at all a solution.”
Another point made during the workshop was retaining generational farmers and enticing young people into the industry.
Mr Hunt said this would also build a more sustainable and attractive industry.
“Farmers are not just farmers anymore, we are business people,” he said.
“One thing they are pushing out now financial literacy for farmers, teaching them how to generate a budget and stick to that.
“Building good, sustainable businesses and in turn encouraging our younger generations to either stay in farming or get into the industry with a view to building their own enterprise.”
Following the clear guidance provided by the workshop, the peak industry groups will now work to put the detail of the plan together.
A six-person team has also been established to develop new options for the restructure of industry and advocacy arrangements.
The group will aim to produce a draft report by October 2, which will be released publicly for further comment and discussion.
