While I began my role as a Director for ADF late last year, my responsibilities as a Board member will ramp up significantly in the next month as the Dairy Plan Committee and its subcommittees reconvene. I will continue to push for a single well-resourced, farmer-controlled national dairy body that each regional/state body can link into must form the basis for the new national framework which, need I say it again, is the only sensible solution for our industry.

QDO will also continue to monitor the effectiveness and fairness of the Dairy Code of Conduct. It was without surprise that we saw a number of processors push their luck on the Code in its infancy, but I am confident that the Code shows promise as a mechanism to restore the balance between farmers and the processors.

We want 2021 to be a great year for the Northern Dairying regions of Australia. We have a terrific team working hard to do what’s best for our farmers and our industry. We are committed to working for our members to become more profitable and to mitigate their risks on farm. Once again, I thank our members and their continued support. Here’s to the year ahead.