Dealing with Today Planning for Tomorrow
Dealing with Today: Planning for Tomorrow is helping irrigated dairy farmers across the southern Murray Darling Basin address the challenges of the current season and supporting them in making longer-term business decisions.
It is targeted at irrigated dairy farms located in the southern Murray Darling Basin including the Riverina, Northern Victoria and the Lower Murray and Lakes district in South Australia.
Some of the issues our activities cover include dealing with reduced milk prices, water trading, grain and hay forecasts, financial planning, working with your banker and many more.
Although the focus is currently in the Southern Murray Darling Basin regions, support and information services will soon be supplemented across as many other areas.
Dealing with Today: Planning for Tomorrow fact sheets
Activities
Activities are designed and delivered in collaboration with existing regional service delivery networks to ensure initiatives are tailored to meet specific needs.
Some examples of our activities include:
Murray Dairy and DairySA choose which activities suit local needs and facilitate delivery. For more information on activities in northern Victoria and the Riverina visit www.murraydairy.com.au.
Taking Stock Taking Action
Taking Stock Consultations flyer - Tasmania
Taking stock taking action flyer - South Australia
Taking stock taking action flyer - Northern Victoria
Taking Stock: Taking Action involves working one-on-one with an experienced adviser to work through the farm’s current position and options for the future.
Held in the privacy of your own home, the consultant will help you review aspects of your farm business, talk through important decisions and consider options in the dairy industry and beyond.
The adviser will prepare a written report that will assist with discussions with financial institutions and other business decisions.
Clear your mind
If you are not ready for a thorough review of your business through Taking Stock, Taking Action, you may prefer to start with a less formal, more flexible discussion. These are 1-2 hour sessions with an experienced adviser in nutrition, feeding, farm business management, people resource management or managing the external stresses on your family, friends and neighbours. The direction of the discussion will be guided by the needs of you and your farm business team.
Scenario planning workshops
These sessions will help you work through the various options you have for moving forward. The small group format will allow you to hear ideas from other local dairy farmers in similar situations.
Situation and Outlook report 2009
Situation and outlook information session flyer - South Australia
Situation and outlook information session flyer - Northern Victoria
These information sessions allow you to hear the latest seasonal information including milk price movements, market outlook, hay and grain prices and the results from a national survey of dairy farmers. Dairy Australia will present the latest Situation and Outlook 2009 based on extensive industry surveys and market analysis.
The Situation Outlook and Update will allow dairy farmers to hear forecasts for hay and grain availability and prices and what's happening in international dairy markets.
Situation and Outlook 2009 will cover the key drivers for the coming season including:
- Milk price outlook and markets;
- Hay and grain forecasts;
- Water situation;
- Options going forward;
- Farmer survey results (regional and national); and
- Support available to dairy farmers this season.
Updates provide farmers and service providers with current information on key issues affecting dairy businesses such as water and weather outlooks, feed prices, and availability forecasts, milk price and market updates.
We’ll also let you know what support is available for dairy farmers in your area.
Business Forums
Our business forums give you insight into the external environment including milk price, climate change and water policy and the potential impacts on farm businesses in the region.
Guest speakers will cover changes in the local, national and international operating environment. There will be plenty of opportunity for discussion about the impact on farm.
You’ll go home armed with technical and management information to explore feasible options based on your current situation and develop and implement action plans using suitable decision support processes and tools.
Delivery
Dealing for Today Planning for Tomorrow is managed and implemented by Dairy Australia and delivered through Murray Dairy and DairySA.
It is supported by the Australian Dairy Industry Council and industry organisations and service providers including state departments of primary industry; milk companies, state farmer organisations and private consultants.
Funding
Dealing for Today Planning for Tomorrow is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) Irrigation Industries Workshop Program.
Australian Government support for five peak industry bodies in the Murray-Darling Basin gives irrigators access to free practical, expert advice in their local area to improve water use efficiency, minimise production losses and improve business and production planning.
The Australia Government and industry partnership ensures that irrigators get advice specific to their region, sector and circumstances to inform decisions about their future.
Steering group
Dealing for Today Planning for Tomorrow is led by a Steering Committee of key industry people chaired by Allan Burgess, Chairman of the Australian Dairy Industry Council. The Steering Committee ensures that programs are delivered and the right people engaged to give you the very best management, financial and market information in the coming year.