June 2, 2004

Australian Farm Group Calls For Higher Milk Prices

The New South Wales Farmers Association has called on milk processors and supermarkets to increase their prices to ensure the future of the dairy industry.

Australian Dairy Farmers Limited has met representatives along the supply chain to communicate the severe financial problems faced by most farmers.

There are 1,100 dairies in NSW, but due to the drought and financial problems, one farmer leaves the industry each day.

Farmers' association dairy committee chairman Arthur Burns says higher prices would ensure new people to the industry can become profitable.

"We've got a very good base of younger farmers, they may not necessarily be the ones that you would expect," he said.

"In a lot of cases they're 20 to 30-year-olds....with young families just really switched on - good farmers. There's a lot of them there and we've got to make sure there's a future for them."

The NSW Nationals have joined the calls for increased prices, and say the State Government also needs to fund on-farm visits by dairy officers, to provide more support to farmers.