New lobby group Dairy Farmer Voice set to take on Dairy Australia
Bernie Free is one of several primary producers to form a new group — Dairy Farmer Voice — which challenges processor domination of advocacy and administration in the sector.
PROMISED ‘grassroots’ consultation on the future of Australia’s dairy sector is no more than astroturf talk, a new advocacy group says.
Western District-based Bernie Free is one of several primary producers to form a new group — Dairy Farmer Voice — which challenges what they see as the processor domination of advocacy and administration in the sector.
Mr Free told senators at an online upper house hearing last week that he and fellow south-west Victorian farmers saw the Australian Dairy Plan as the potential for a fresh start, only to be left disappointed.
“I approached (the Dairy Plan) meetings with an open mind in the hope that we would have a real chance of stronger advocacy for dairy farmers and much greater accountability from the Dairy Australia board,” the Winslow farmer said.
“We realised that more of the same attitudes, undemocratic decision-making and no decision making we have witnessed and experienced from our dairy leaders was unacceptable. We reached out to Farmer Power and agreed with them that this was a real chance to drive the changes through that would unite the various farmer advocacy.”
The group, which includes dairy farmers Oonagh Kilpatrick, Bruce Knowles and Mr Free along with farmer-consultant Sarah Campbell, have formulated ‘The Wannon Solution’, which outlines their method to reform the sector.
They say the current process has left a lot of unanswered questions, as outlined by Mr Free in his presentation to senators.
“How can advocacy work when you are in the same organisation (Dairy Australia) as the people that set the price you are paid?” Mr Free said.
“If you feel it is acceptable for both processors and suppliers to be part of the same organisation, do you then feel it equally acceptable that we as employers set the minimum rate our farm staff get paid?”
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