“The dairy industry has been on its knees for some time now and we’ve gotten to the edge of the cliff,” United Dairyfarmers of Victoria president Paul Mumford said.
“We need to help those who need to exit the industry and show others there’s a glimmer of hope.”
As The Weekly Times reported last week, dairy farmers are being priced out of water markets, with Riverina and northern Victoria losing herds and farms.
But exactly what the UDV and its national body – Australian Dairy Farmers – can gain from the Victorian and Federal Government remains unclear.
Farmers in drought-affected areas are already calling for municipal and water rate subsidies, similar to those delivered by the former Bracks-Brumby Government during the millennium drought.
The rebates came under criticism from the Victorian Auditor General’s Office and cost the former Labor Government $176 million – $40m in municipal rate rebates for 9500 farm businesses and $136m in water rate rebates for 47,000 customers.
Current Treasurer Tim Pallas has opposed such subsidies, while Agriculture Minister Jaclyn Symes has said nothing is off the table.
Victorian Opposition Agriculture spokesman Peter Walsh has urged the Government to act, saying VAGO didn’t run the state and Labor had done the right thing by farmers a decade ago.
“It worked then and it would work again now,” Mr Walsh said.
Mr Mumford said the UDV would be putting a number of options on the table, when they met Ms Symes this week.
“Anything that helps with business costs is going to lift cash flow,” Mr Mumford said.