Dairy Australia: Championing the Australian Dairy Industry

Dairy Australia, headquartered in Melbourne, Victoria, is a pivotal organization in the Australian dairy sector. With regional offices across the country, it has a broad reach within the industry, supporting its mission to enhance the sustainability and global competitiveness of Australian dairy products.

Financial Indicators

As a not-for-profit entity, Dairy Australia is primarily funded through levies collected from dairy farmers, along with government support. The organization generates an annual revenue of approximately AUD 60 million, which is reinvested into various initiatives including research and development, farm productivity enhancement, and marketing efforts.

Important Events

A significant upcoming event for Dairy Australia is the release of June milk production figures, anticipated to reach around 600 million liters due to favorable seasonal conditions. The organization is also undergoing a leadership transition following the departure of David Nation. New candidates for the board of directors will be nominated at the forthcoming annual general meeting to ensure diverse skill sets and perspectives.

Recent market data from NielsenIQ indicates a 0.7% rise in retail milk volumes and a 0.8% increase in total value to AUD 2.92 billion from February 2024 to February 2025. Dairy Australia has been proactive in addressing challenges such as rising fuel and fertilizer prices and supply shortages affecting petroleum/oil-derived products through informational webinars for farmers.

Company Plans

Dairy Australia is dedicated to enhancing sustainability by reducing environmental impact and optimizing resource efficiency within the dairy industry. There are ongoing investments in research to advance dairy farming techniques and promote product development. Expanding market presence is a priority, with strategic plans to strengthen Australia's international reach amid evolving global market dynamics.

Despite a reduction in the number of farms from 4,163 in 2022/23 to 3,889 in 2023/24, Dairy Australia is actively working on projects like the Heat Tolerance Australian Breeding Value (HT ABV) to enhance cattle resilience to climate change. The organization is also involved in the "Calfways" strategy, which aims to transform dairy calf management, and collaborates with federal and state authorities to maintain active surveillance and support farmgate readiness against threats such as the H5 bird flu.

Eliza Redfern, Insights Manager, highlights that trade tariffs have created unexpected opportunities for Australian dairy exporters, revealing increased prospects due to shifts in global trade dynamics. Dairy Australia forecasts potential changes in milk production, predicting a 2% decline for the 2026–27 season, with possible contraction ranging from 1% to 3%, influenced by geopolitical crises and disruptions in global trade lanes.

Additionally, Dairy Australia is involved in the herd improvement industry through initiatives like DataGene, focusing on genetic evaluation and dairy herd improvement programs. They also run the Dairy Farm Monitor Project and DairyBase, supporting farms like Shade River Dairy in improving cost visibility and efficiency.

Dairy Australia has named Paul Roderick, Paul Bennett, and Hamish Reid as its nominated candidates for election to the organization’s Board at the 2026 Annual General Meeting. The AGM will be held in Melbourne, Victoria, on Friday, 27 November 2026. Dairy Australia members will be able to vote at the meeting or in advance by proxy. Each nominee must receive a majority of the votes cast to be elected. The candidates were selected through a process overseen by Dairy Australia’s independently chaired Board Selection Committee, which assesses applicants against the skills and experience required by the Board and recommends one candidate for each vacancy.

Additionally, Dairy Australia's Picasso Cows programme uses classroom projects to examine the journey of dairy products from farms to consumers, involving more than 150,000 Australian students since 2007.