North East and Goulburn Murray Farmer

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NORTH EAST AND GOULBURN MURRAY

Part of the Farmer Group Rural Newspapers Covering Victoria Published since 1984

JANUARY, 2017

37 Rowan Street, Wangaratta 3677

Beef Week 2017 preview

Innovative farmers awarded

From tobacco to pumpkins

PAGES 13-22

PAGE 12

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Dairy help delays put families to the wall By JAMIE KRONBORG

LAST HARVEST: Eldorado Orchards has been taken over by Jessee Schulz Dahlenburg and partner Stefan Heintjes. The couple have made some significant changes to the business. See full story page 3. PHOTO: Vanessa Burgess

TWO of Australia’s senior bureaucrats have come face to face with North East dairy farmers forced to the breadline by dramatic milk supply price cuts earlier this year. Commonwealth Agriculture and Water Resources Department first assistant secretary Greg Williamson and Human Services Department general manager Melissa Ryan were challenged at a ‘dairy round table’ meeting in Tangambalanga last month to use their significant powers – and immediately – to relieve affected farmers of fear and worry about a cash flow crisis besetting their enterprises and communities. Mr Williamson, who heads his department’s farm support division, and Ms Ryan, who leads her department’s older Australians’ division which includes programs defined as rural, heard harrowing stories from some of the region’s farmers about the impact of a striking, near-overnight change in their business fortunes last autumn.

Two major processors – Murray Goulburn Co-operative and Fonterra – one after the other slashed contracted milk product supply prices and moved to apply the cuts retrospectively. The State Government responded on May 23 to provide financial support for affected Victorian farmers, followed two days later by a decision of the Federal Government to offer a $579 million package of concessional loans plus farm household allowances for dairy families suffering cash flow fallout from the processors’ decisions. B u t C a t h y M c G owa n (MHR, Indi) – in whose electorate dairying contributes significantly to agricultural communities and the economy – warned Agriculture Minister and Nationals’ leader Barnaby Joyce early in November that affected families were continuing to suffer frustrating, plus-20 week delays in the delivery of social service support. Continued page 2

BEEF WEEK OPEN DAY THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2 , 2017 ANGUS 0419 111 936 John and Joan Woodruff 0412 002 509 Hoysted Road, Taminick via Glenrowan

On Display Sale Bulls and Females

ON PROPERTY BULL SALE

TUESDAY, MARCH 21, 2017

Jim Bruce 0419 600 355 Stephen Street 0428 579 338

Kevin Sanderson 0418 574 237

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Manager: Ian Peake


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