A Strong, United Industry Is Also a Force of Nature
This year alone, dairy farmers have faced the full spectrum of climate volatility. Ex-tropical Cyclone Alfred lashed Queensland in March, flooding devastated over 130 farms in New South Wales, and Southern Australia remains gripped by drought. Each event has tested farmers’ capacity to recover, invest and operate — but none has broken the collective will of the industry.
As chairman of Dairy Australia, I have seen firsthand the damage done. Floods come like a punch — sudden, jarring and visible. Drought, by contrast, is the slow, heavy weight that drags at every decision and every step forward. Yet through it all, one constant emerges: the strength of community and coordination.
Ground-Level Response, National Backbone
Much of that resilience is built on a deeply connected network. One of Dairy Australia’s greatest strengths lies in its regional teams, which serve as a critical link between farm and national support. During recent disasters, these teams have coordinated with emergency services, maintained daily contact with affected farmers, and ensured that relief efforts met actual, not assumed, needs.
Such responsiveness isn’t an accident. It’s the result of decades spent investing in local expertise, shared knowledge, and mutual trust — a formula that has proven more powerful than any single intervention.
Forecasting Uncertainty
Despite the recovery efforts underway, the outlook for the coming season remains mixed. Opening milk prices, while up on the previous season, still fall short of expectations — especially given global commodity trends and escalating on-farm costs.
As of Dairy Australia’s Mid-Year Situation and Outlook report, a contraction in milk production is now widely expected for 2025–26, with estimates moving beyond the earlier forecast of a 0–2% decline. Our analysts continue to track developments, but signs point to a deeper drop as producers weigh feed costs, water availability and labour challenges.
Holding Firm in Global Markets
Yet even amidst domestic hardship, Australia’s dairy reputation remains strong internationally. Our products retain premium status in critical export markets like China and Japan, and per-capita consumption at home remains among the highest in the world. This dual endorsement — from Australians and international buyers alike — is no small achievement in an era of growing competition and nutritional fads.
What we cannot control is clear: the rain, the temperature, the global milk price. But what we can control — how we support each other, how we adapt, and how we speak up for our industry — has never been more important.
Resilience Is a Shared Project
The calls, the media attention, and the messages from across the country after each crisis have made one thing plain: Australians care deeply about their dairy industry. They value not just the product, but the people who produce it. That support should not be underestimated — it is a resource in its own right.
Now is the time to draw on that strength. Whether it’s reaching out to your regional Dairy Australia team, checking in with neighbours, or simply taking a moment to care for yourself and your family — these are the actions that sustain us through tough seasons.
This year may yet be difficult, but we’ve weathered worse. And we’ve done it not just with strength in product, but in people. A united dairy industry is not just resilient. It’s a force of nature in its own right.
