Tasmanian dairy farms send milk mayday to Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce

TASMANIAN  dairy farmers want Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce to stop sitting on his hands and step out of election campaign mode to act urgently on emergency support packages for the devastated industry.

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce is believed to be close to finalising a support package for the nation’s stricken dairy farmers.

TASMANIAN  dairy farmers are urging Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce to stop sitting on his hands and step out of election campaign mode to act urgently on emergency support packages for the devastated industry.

Mr Joyce said caretaker provisions prevented him acting unilaterally to support half of Australia’s 6100 dairy farmers directly impacted by the major milk processors cutting the farmgate milk price to 37c a litre.

“It is my intention to consult with the Opposition on the support package within days,” he said.

“I ask my Opposition counterpart to work quickly with me in a bipartisan way to finalise the support package.”

Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association Dairy Council chairman and North-East farmer Andrew Lester said it seemed a “lot of hot air”.

“We need a long-term ­vision. He should get out of the election campaign, stop sitting on his hands and get bipartisan support. That would seem ­essential,” Mr Lester said.

Andrew Lester, in his dairy at Herrick in Tasmania, says an electricity power hike is the last thing the industry needs. Longwood. Tasmania.

“Really I can’t see what the Government can do. We have come out of a regulated industry and we can’t go back to that.”

He said the Government ­instead should look at bolstering financial counselling and support for mental health services in any support packages.

“We also need to get rid of the $1 a litre milk in super­markets,” he said.

“It won’t fix the problem ­because international markets have impacted prices, but buying branded milk will help.

“With branded milk farmers would get a better return, the company supplying that milk would then be in a position to pay farmers a more sustainable price.”

The ACCC and the ASIC continue to review the price decisions by processors Murray Goulburn and Fonterra.

Jude Charleston, who farms at Wilmot in the North-West with her husband, Shane, said the price cuts “was the biggest shock” and support was ­needed.

“I just said to Shane, ‘we’re stuffed, how are we going to get through this?’ ” Ms Charleston said.

“We were only just scraping through anyway because of the drought. I really don’t know what we’re going to do.”

Businesses which supply feed, fertiliser, equipment and services to dairy farmers are bracing for major losses as the impact of the milk companies’ decisions flow down through the industry.

Tasmanians can help farmers by:

DONATIONS to the Rural Relief fund, at any ANZ Bank branch or at www.ruralbusiness

tasmania.org.au/Relief-Fund

SHOUT-A-MATE VISIT, which supplies grain for livestock, www.shoutamate.com.au

For more rural stories, read the Tasmanian Country newspaper every Friday.