Here’s some news from Dairy Australia which is holding its annual general meeting.

As of this posting their website looks like it’s temporarily offline. Give it a try later if you don’t see it.

• Dairy Australia will not recommend an increase to the Dairy Service Levy it was announced today. The Dairy Service Levy poll will be conducted from February 12 until March 16 next year when dairy farmers will be able to vote for three levy options – zero, current and an increase of 15 per cent – in their order of preference.

  Dairy Australia’s managing director Mike Ginnivan told the company’s Annual General Meeting that the company arrived at its ‘hold’ recommendation after extensive consultation and feedback from industry. “Nevertheless, this is ultimately a Dairy Australia recommendation based on the growing conviction that our future is inextricably linked with that of dairy farmers,” he said. “Our recommendation is not only recognition of the circumstances facing many dairy farmers but also a fulfilment of one of the tenets under which the company was created i.e. our ability to respond to industry’s needs.” Dairy Australia’s recommendation is that the levy be held at the current rate that is, approximately 0.315 cents per litre or 1 per cent of the value of the estimated future farmgate milk price.

• Dairy Australia needs to reprioritise its programs and services to reflect both a lower income and the redirection of funds towards its drought response, the company’s Annual General Meeting was told in Melbourne today. The company’s managing director Mike Ginnivan said that although the company had a major levy vote looming in February this year, the significance of it would be temporarily overshadowed by industry concerns about the drought. “Six months ago, the company had forecast at least 10 billion litres of milk for the year and we budgeted accordingly. Our early forecast is for a drop of about seven per cent but it is difficult to estimate,” Dr Ginnivan said.
• Dairy industry icon Pat Rowley has stepped down as chairman of Dairy Australia but will continue to advise the company on a part-time basis until after it has conducted its first Dairy Service Levy poll in February. The company’s new chairman Max Roberts said Mr Rowley was asked to maintain his association with Dairy Australia because his experience included the development of the company and spanned many decades of practical farming and wider industry development.

  Generally regarded as having played an integral role during dairy’s deregulation, Mr Rowley was responsible for leading the push for one of agriculture’s most successful deregulation packages. During his stewardship a almost $2 billion dairy adjustment program was created for distribution to dairy farmers affected by deregulation. Mr Rowley has been Dairy Australia’s inaugural chairman for three years.

• A dairy farmer from Bega on the NSW south coast has been elected Chairman of Dairy Australia following its Annual General Meeting in Melbourne today. Max Roberts was elected Chairman by the Board after Pat Rowley, who has now retired, stepped down from the board after three years as its inaugural chairman. Mr Roberts said it was an honour to be elected as chairman of an industry owned organisation that provided the critical services needed for it to remain internationally competitive, innovative and sustainable.