UDV, Dairy Farmers Victoria open to VFF peace talks

Dairy advocacy in Victoria is split in two. Will a new VFF president help bridge the dairy divide?

Leaders of Victoria’s two dairy advocacy groups say they are open to discussions with new Victorian Farmers Federation president Brett Hosking over bridging the industry divide.

But both United Dairyfarmers of Victoria president Bernie Free and Dairy Farmers Victoria president Mark Billing conceded some form of reunification of the disparate dairy groups was unlikely in 2025.

All but two of the UDV policy council members left the VFF-affiliated grouping in September 2023, to form a new entity called Dairy Farmers Victoria.

At the time, then outgoing UDV president Mr Billing said the VFF had not been delivering dairy farmers value for their membership dollars, which are paid at a rate of $800 per million litres of milk produced.

Nearly two years on from the split, Mr Billing said he had productive talks during the VFF presidential campaign with both Mr Hosking and former VFF vice president Danyel Cucinotta.

He said strong ties with the VFF were possible under the new Hosking administration although a reunification with the UDV was unlikely.

“We’ve resolved to catch up with Brett in the new year — there are a lot of cross-commodity issues we can work with the VFF on,” Mr Billing said.

“But we’ve made great gains as Dairy Farmers Victoria, the membership is growing. We have a good working relationship with all three regional organisations in WestVic, Murray and GippsDairy as well as a productive but frank relationship with the ADPF (Australian Dairy Products Federation) and the processors themselves.

“The UDV is heading in a different direction to the way we want to operate — we’re taking a more decentralised approach, trying to get more farmers in that key 30-40 age demographic who want to connect online. We’re had some great policy discussions via (mobile phone communication service) WhatsApp while out doing farm work.”

United Dairyfarmers of Victoria president Bernie Free. Picture: Nicole Cleary

Mr Free was elected UDV president after Mr Billing stood down from the position in September 2023 and was reappointed to the role before Christmas.

He said the changing of the guard represented new opportunities for agricultural advocacy more broadly but didn’t see a reunification with DFV on the horizon.

“The VFF needs to sit down, take a breather,” Mr Free said.

“Having a new president will be a good opportunity to reassess not just for dairy advocacy but all advocacy bodies.

“As far as (DFV) goes, that’s not just related to having a new VFF president, there’s a range of stuff to work through. But farmers don’t want advocacy groups fighting among themselves, so the UDV is always open to more collaboration but whether that’s a merger, that looks unlikely at the present.”

Mr Hosking has said he wanted to be a unifying figure as president but hasn’t called for dairy advocates to join forces.

“My first priority is restoring members’ trust and confidence in the VFF,” Mr Hosking said. “(But) it can’t be done by one person – it has to be a team with members and commodity leaders.”