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Dairy Industry - Howard Emanuel

A recent article in the "Warrnambool Standard" regarding the dairy industry in Victoria’s South West has captured the attention of those concerned with the future of this industry here in Gippsland. Read More...

By Howard Emanuel - 26th August 2004 - Back to News

A recent article in the "Warrnambool Standard" regarding the dairy industry in Victoria’s South West has captured the attention of those concerned with the future of this industry here in Gippsland.

The "Standard" article stated that 2 major dairy co-operatives in the southwest region have now started training their field staff with "suicide intervention skills", obviously aimed at dairy farmers in desperate need of assistance, of the most extraordinary kind.

So far this clarion call of distress and struggle from many a dairy farmer post deregulation seems to have fallen on deaf ears, with some quite remarkable comments being made in many a forum that suggests all is well in the dairy industry in Victoria. It is indeed, these comments suggest, a minority of dairy farmers that are unable to cope under the current pricing arrangements, that see many of them at best breaking even on the years effort and at worst falling into seminal decline, wholly attributable we are told to their own on-farm inefficiencies and inadequacies.

When one looks at the current market structures that are in place for the co-operatives to sell their product, one can see a lack of competition at the retail level and therefore the ability for prices to be set at an appropriate level to ensure adequate on farm earnings, is not guaranteed. Some level of Government intervention is required to off-set the lack of market leverage, otherwise dairy farmers will continue to have prices dictated to them and be price takers and not price makers.

If our dairy farmers are not given some degree of minimum income surety, I for one will not put my signature to any document that suggests that the current pricing structures in the dairy industry are indeed adequate and fair and that in no way are these prices in some way responsible for the tragic and malignant situation now unfolding in our midst.

The dairy industry has been thrashing about for the last 5 years trying to map a way forward, it is now time for government to step in and secure the future of this vital industry in Gippsland and Victoria. To not do so will mean an enormous loss for all of us and not just those currently struggling to maintain this important industry on our behalf.

Howard Emanuel - Bringing the People back into Policy!

www.HowardEmanuel.com

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: kris@howardemanuel.com

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