Australian 2023-24 dairy farmgate: Dutch courage ahead of new season

Dairy farmer Ulke de Kleine says the opening milk price needs to be right in order to retain farmers in the sector next season.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of Australian farmers milk Friesian cattle.

But Ulke de Kleine is one of only a few farmers that hail from the land of the black-and-white cattle.

Born and bred in the Dutch region of Friesland, Mr de Kliene’s trans-continental dairy odyssey has led him to southwest Victoria.

“I’ve worked in dairy in Holland, America, New Zealand and now Australia,” he said.

“Australia is the best country to get into dairy farming. The opportunities are there more than other nations.”

Ulke De Kliene is a dairy farmer at Pirron Yallock, near Colac. He moved from northern Victoria two years ago, along with a number of farmers who see SW Victoria as a more profitable region to run a dairy farm. PICTURE: ZOE PHILLIPS

But with soaring input costs and an international commodity crunch, it’s fair to say some Dutch courage is needed ahead of the new season.

Mr De Kliene said in order to retain dairy farmers in the sector, opening prices “need to have a $9 at the front”.

He said processors, retailers and consumers all had a role to play in keeping prices sustainable.

“One of the positive changes in the past couple of years is that it isn’t just farmers having to pick up the bill,” Mr De Kliene said.

“Processors need to look at their costs, the retailers need to look at their costs. Farmers know how to budget, we always have. Now the others along the supply chain have to do the same thing. Are the processors paying too much in wages? Are the retailers pricing milk at the right level? We’ve always had to balance our books.”

Mr De Kliene moved to Australia in 2011 and started dairy farming in northern Victoria.

Less than two years later, he met his now wife Sarah.

The couple made the move to southwest Victoria two years ago and have enjoyed the change of scenery.

“Milking in the southwest is easier than northern Victoria, mainly due to water. It’s not the concern that you always have farming in the Murray Darling Basin,” he said.