DAIRYTAS AND TFGA COLLABORATION AGREEMENT

Monday March 7th 2011

DAIRYTAS AND TFGA COLLABORATION AGREEMENT

Tasmania’s two peak dairy organisations, DairyTas and the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association Dairy Council, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to work closely to secure the future of the Tasmanian industry.

The TFGA Dairy Council provides the representative and policy-setting role in dairy farming.

DairyTas provides a service delivery and industry development role, including matters such as the Dairy Industry Strategic Plan, dairy farmers’ service levy investments in Tasmania and industry consultative events.

With the 2012 review of the service levy imminent, collaboration between the two organisations will be important for the future of the industry. The levy funds the improvement in national dairy farm performance as well as allowing national bodies such as Dairy Australia to undertake trade and strategy support, industry marketing and promotion, education and training programs and dairy food nutrition.

“Tasmania is an important contributor to the national industry, with nearly eight per cent of the production now coming from our dairy farmers,” DairyTas chairman Paul Bennett said today.

“We have limited resources available to support the industry and much to do, so it is important that we work effectively together and this MOU gives us that framework.”

TFGA Dairy Council chairman Andrew Lester said the signing of the MOU was an excellent example of how different industry bodies could work together for the benefit of the industry.

“By pooling our resources, we get far better on-ground outcomes for dairy farmers,” he said.

“The TFGA and DairyTas have worked cooperatively on a number of matters and we look forward to this cooperation extending long into the future.

Examples of this collaboration have included the new Dairy Industry Strategic Plan, animal health and welfare activities, education programs like Cows Create Careers and the creation of an MCPA industry taskforce at Circular Head.

Issued jointly by DairyTas and the TFGA

TFGA