Australia-Small lift for dairy industry.

AUSTRALIA-SMALL LIFT FOR DAIRY INDUSTRY.

Dairy co-operative leaders from both sides of the Tasman agree that the current challenges facing farmers and industry are temporary, and the long term-future remains positive.

Forty-three directors from Australian and New Zealand co-operative dairy companies, or those with significant farmer interest, put aside any traditional rivalries when they gathered

at the industry’s pre-eminent post-farm gate conference ’Australia and New Zealand Dairy Co-operative Leaders Forum’ in Melbourne this week.

Together, their companies represent more than $10 billion in sales on both sides of the Tasman.

The forum, funded and organised by Dairy Australia and sponsored by Rabobank, aims to take a collaborative approach, building relationships between manufacturers, transferring information, and facilitating common alignment of activities for the greater good of the farmer.

Delegates heard that with the world population expected to grow 50pc by 2050, and hundreds of millions seeking to be lifted out of poverty and malnutrition, the Australasian dairy industry has a huge opportunity.

Dairy products, the delegates said, would continue to be viewed as key nutritional and aspirational products in the future.

Delegates also recognised common issues and possible alignment across organisations and the Tasman - on issues such as dairy image, right-to-farm, and dairy’s treatment by government and within the world emissions policy.

The annual forum has been taking place for a decade, growing recently with recognition of the increasing commonality of issues confronting dairy processors and manufacturers.