WHAT NSW FARMERS
HAS ACHIEVED:
  • Secured a mandatory dairy code of conduct to enhance dairy farmers’ bargaining power with processors.
  • Secured a price rise on milk and the end to the crippling $1 a litre price trend.
  • Provided direct support for dairy farmers affected by the summer bushfires through the disbursement of the NSW Farmers Bushfire Relief Fund.
  • Successfully advocated for harsher penalties for farm trespass at both state and federal levels.
WHERE NSW FARMERS
IS GOING NEXT:
  • Advocating for reform to Australia’s competition framework, such as reforming the unconscionable conduct provisions in Australian Consumer Law to challenge the excessive power of supermarkets.
  • Continue to advocate for fairer prices on dairy items, including $1.50 a litre for milk and $9 per kilogram for cheese.
  • Monitor the effectiveness of the mandatory code in equalising power differences between farmers and processors.
  • Advocate for fairness in labelling of plant-based ‘milk alternative’ products, which unduly co-opt the term ‘milk’.
WHAT NSW FARMERS IS
WORKING ON:
  • Ensuring structural changes to dairy’s advocacy model achieves beneficial outcomes for dairy farmers.
  • Engaging with all retailers to support dairy farmers and ensure farmers receive a fair price across the dairy cabinet.
  • Advocating for improved run-off capture for coastal farmers through increased harvestable rights along the Eastern Fall and greater water storage rights.

A MESSAGE FROM THE NSW FARMERS COMMITTEE CHAIR

NSW Farmers is working for their members to achieve outcomes that matter to them. Having a grassroots structure means your issues will be heard. A lot of agricultural policies that are now taken for granted may not have come about were it not for the efforts of NSW Farmers members and staff.

As well as advocacy and education, the regional services manager network is able to keep members abreast of current topics and utilises NSW Farmers resources to answer specific questions.

For NSW Farmers to continue to represent the interests of farmers and stakeholders they need a strong membership base to ensure they have both the resources and collective input to achieve these goals.

As the chair of the Dairy Committee, my priorities are to advocate for fairer retail prices on dairy items and for a more equitable dairy supply chain. The excessive power of major supermarkets in shaping the profit of dairy farmers needs to be remedied. As well as fairer retail and farm-gate prices, we need fundamental changes to Australia’s competition framework to
set the industry on a more sustainable path. It is also critical that the fragmented voices in the industry are streamlined to create more powerful advocacy.

We are stronger together. The more members we have, the more powerful we become.

Colin Thompson