Dairy farmers optimistic at Field Days

Westpac business bank chief executive David Lindberg told a client brunch the dairy industry made news for all the wrong reasons last year but lifts in farmgate milk prices and global dairy commodity prices plus low interest rates were providing some positives.

Mr Lindberg said the present outlook for agriculture in general “was as good as it has ever been”.

Veteran dairy farmer Edward Conheady of Noorat backed Mr Lindberg’s optimism, saying the tough times for dairy in the past two-and-a-half years had provided opportunities.

He bought a new dairy farm 12 months ago and sold a two-year supply of bull calves in 12 months to buy young dairy cows for the new farm.

More guarded in his outlook was Woolsthorpe's Brian McLaren, who said the short-term outlook for dairy was tough.

Mr McLaren, a Murray Goulburn supplier, said the company had not lifted its milk price close to that of other suppliers. He said MG needed to urgently address its milk supply drop after its price cut last April.

Warrnambool Cheese and Butter supplier Wayne Ross, of Ecklin, said the industry “had hit the bottom and is on its way up”. Peter Battistello, of Ecklin South, said a good season had cut feed costs, providing more help than milk price rises.