Wednesday, 29 May 2024

Dairy industry

Georgie PURCELL (Northern Victoria) (17:34): (921) My adjournment matter this evening is for the Minister for Agriculture, and the action I seek is for the government to fund a transition program for farmers. In 2023 academics utilising KG2, Australia’s largest independent agricultural market research company, conducted a survey of Australian dairy farmers’ attitudes towards their business, its challenges and transitioning to alternative enterprises, featuring responses from 147 Australian dairy farmers, with 65 per cent being from Victoria. Increasingly low profitability for dairy farmers, changing consumer preferences towards plant-based alternatives, climate change impacts, labour shortages, rising production costs and deterioration of farmers’ mental health were all identified as primary challenges, leading to more than half of farmers surveyed declaring they are open to exploring agricultural alternatives to dairy farming. This amount increased if it was accompanied by government support. Many cited that transitioning to beef would be less favourable than the dairy industry, with a significant downgrade in profitability. This is reflected in 36 per cent of those surveyed expressing a current willingness to transition into horticultural or other business ventures if government support and assistance were provided.

It is scientifically known that the commercial and environmental viability of animal agriculture is becoming unsustainable. Dairy farmers reported that the financial impacts of the industry have meant a loss of production, animal health and mental health, with causes ranging from volatile prices, extensive land and water usage by the dairy industry, inefficient food production and significant contributions to greenhouse gas emissions. The industry is flailing and struggling to go on. Sixty-eight per cent said the challenges they face as dairy farmers had impacted their own or their family’s mental health and wellbeing. An Australian-first study over a decade revealed that a farmer dies by suicide every 10 days, meaning a 60 per cent higher suicide rate among farmers compared to non-farmers.

With one-third of farmers already considering a transition and 54 per cent open to alternatives, those seeking to get out of the industry must be supported by the government before it is too late. In the absence of government assistance Farm Transitions Australia has stepped up, providing free support services to dairy farmers experiencing hardship. They offer business plans; advice from financial planners, career path experts and ex-dairy farmers; mental health tools; and resource provisions supporting farms to transition to regenerative farming or other careers. Farmers and their animals should not suffer to keep a dying industry alive if they do not want to, and this government must answer their calls and fund a transition program for farmers to move to alternative, sustainable enterprises.