June 15, 2016
The Queensland Dairyfarmers’ Organisation has called on the next Federal Government to approach supermarkets to lift the price of their home-brand fresh milk.
A QDO spokesman said on Tuesday a 20 cents per litre increase in milk prices could mean farmers receive an extra 10 cents per litre.
This “emergency measure” would help stabilise to the industry, he said.
The QDO’s wish list for the next Federal Government also includes:
- A mandatory whole-of-supply chain Code of Conduct, headed by an Ombudsman or Commissioner that can enforce the code, with the power to issue monetary penalties, financial fines, and ensure contracts, prices and supply conditions are sustainable
- Strengthening the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 to outlaw predatory pricing and deceptive and misleading conduct and include an ‘effects test’
- ACCC agricultural unit undertake a supply chain investigation of the domestic dairy industry to ensure all milk sold in Australia was done with sustainable margins
- Extend fair trading protection provisions for consumers to small business, to outlaw unnconscionable contract terms
- Strengthen collective bargaining provisions to provide groups of dairy farmers with a fairer ability to negotiate supply conditions and prices with processors and or retailers
- Support options to enhance the market power of Queensland dairy farmers, including co-operative structures and/or improving collective bargaining provisions
- Provide enhanced support for industry market development initiatives, including undertaking a market diversification strategy of high-value export opportunities for fresh milk, dairy products, livestock and genetics
- Provide financial support to the development of a ‘farmer friendly’ milk label for the Queensland domestic fresh milk market which would identify milk brands providing a fair and sustainable farm gate price to dairy farmers
- Provide support for a small dairy manufacturer development program which is especially important for geographically isolated groups of Queensland dairy farmers
- Find solutions to escalating electricity prices including rule changes that will allow the networks’ regulated asset base to be revalued to reflect redundant assets
- Invest in the Queensland Dairy and Fodder Water for Profit and electricity efficiency programs to support farmers’ increased water use and electricity efficiency to stay sustainable despite escalating electricity and water prices
- The ability of farmers to access funding from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation to implement on farm energy efficiency systems, including rebates for improving irrigation and dairy shed energy efficiency
- Concessional loans for dairy farmers in the southern production regions to be extended to Queensland dairy farmers if the impacts flow on to Queensland
- Maintain the ability for farmers to manage vegetation regrowth and to develop new high value agricultural production areas
- Enhance the Commonwealth’s co-contribution to investment in dairy industry research, development and extension to underpin innovation, improve productivity and sustainable profitability improvement and growth in the dairy industry
- Provide a predictable path-to-market for Gene Technology R&D outcomes
The QDO also called on the Federal Government to establish a nationally integrated bio-security program and maintain the current management system for Bovine Johne’s Disease.
