Victorian dairy farmers say they have few concerns about the time it'll take to introduce a mandatory industry Code of Conduct, as it's essential to get it right.
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Federal budget papers show the government has committed to an $8.7 million, 11-year roll out of the code, which regulated producers' relationships with processors.
The roll-out will start with a $100,000 spend, next year, with plans to invest $2.1 million to develop the code, by the end of the financial year 2022-23.
Crossley dairy farmer Karinjeet Singh-Mahil said the central aspect of the code was to ensure negotiations on a milk price were fairer.
"All it's going to do is make sure everybody behaves reasonably and fairly," Ms Singh-Mahil said.
But she realised writing a code was a complicated matter, which couldn't be done quickly.
"Farming is not a simple thing, the way things operate have become more and more complex and complicated," she said. "They are trying to unravel all that and it's no easy thing.
"The people who came out from the department seem to be doing a pretty darned good job to try and understand all that complexity."
The consultation meetings had also brought up different aspects of the impacts of the code, which had not been canvassed at first.
"We wouldn't want it to be complete, at this stage," Ms Singh-Mahil said.
"As we've gone on, it's given us a different perspective to look at the issues that have to be covered off, so we want it to be done properly."
The code comes across as a document attempting to provide regulation in an unregulated industry; a puzzle far greater than just the relationship between the farmers and the processors.
However, Larpent farmer Lachie Sutherland said the federal government would have to be re-elected before it could proceed.
"That's the first thing they need to achieve," Mr Sutherland said. "I realise these things take time, but it's better than nothing."
He said an upturn in milk prices would take the heat out of the need for a code.
"It's a bit like a floor price - that was a good way to get the Labor Party into the headlines," he said.
Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack has defended the roll-out of the proposed mandatory Dairy Code of Conduct, saying the government was seeking a workable solution, to give primary producers the ability to make money.
Mr McCormack said it was important to spend the right money in the right areas.
"For far too long, our dairy farmers have worked far too hard, and it's a very tough industry to make ends meet," Mr McCormack said.
"That hasn't been helped by dollar-a-litre milk and I know how much the Nationals, in particular (Agriculture Minister) David Littleproud, have campaigned against that."
He said it was difficult when the Nationals' coalition partners were facing pressure to keep prices low.
"Some inner city colleagues have had pensioners banging down their doors, saying they only want to pay dollar-a-litre milk; in fact, they would rather pay less," Mr McCormack said.
"For them, literally every cent counts."
But Mr McCormack said dairy farmers were also having a hard time making ends meet.
"We made some very good announcements in the budget and we are trying to get a solution that is going to be manageable for all concerned, across the various states, with their varying conditions," he said.