Dairy farmers are shaping up to have had two bumper seasons and experts are tipping if the trend continues it could "completely change" the outlook of the industry.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
But ongoing concerns about plans for a new national body are weighing on some south-west farmers despite the optimism.
Dairy Australia managing director David Nation met with service providers in Warrnambool on Thursday and said afterwards the two good seasons were "tremendously important" given challenges faced in years prior.
"A third good season and hopefully a fourth good season, and that would hopefully completely change the outlook of the dairy industry," he said.
"If the season is a good season like this and people can get a good start with earlier calving patterns compared to the rest of the country, it really can launch western Victoria forward."
Winslow farmer Bernie Free said although he was having his best season on record, concerns lingered that the Australian Dairy Plan would change farmers' advocacy for decades to come.
The plan includes five commitments and has cost $1.4 million to date, shared across four organisations.
One proposal in the plan called "NewCo B" would envelop advocacy group Australian Dairy Farmers with Dairy Australia, the Australian Dairy Industry Council and the Australian Dairy Product Federation into one organisation.
Mr Free said the change would make it difficult to separate farmer interests from processor interests when discussing issues like milk price.
"You cannot have groups with a different interest in the same room at the start," he said.
Dairy Australia's Mr Nation said the change remained under consideration.
"We are clearly trying to make that work. But we are not yet at a point where we can say we can make it work and we're ready," he said.
"The strongest voice is when farmers and processors work together."
Mr Nation said there would continue to be other advocacy groups for farmers.
"None of the conversations are taking away farmers being able to have a voice as farmers," he said.
"We are still trying to present a model that represents us working better together. How close that is to NewCo B and how we can put that all together, we are not at the point yet of saying."
MORE READS:
Have you signed up to The Standard's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in the south-west.