Dairy Moving Forward
The Dairy Moving Forward initiative is a national dairy industry initiative funded out of the Victorian Governments Provincial Statement. The fundamental purpose is to establish how pre farm gate research, development, and extension can continue to support and underpin an internationally competitive and sustainable Australian dairy industry through a nationally managed collaborative approach.
There are a number of initiatives under the Dairy Moving Forward umbrella, including direct infrastructure investment, research support, human capability building, facilitating the ongoing industry planning and fore sighting to facilitate the industry taking advantage of future opportunities. The initiative is governed by the Dairy Moving Forward Committee. The committee includes representatives of:
- Australian Dairy Farmers
- Australian Dairy Products Federation
- Dairy Australia
- Department of Primary Industries Victoria
- Geoffrey Gardiner Foundation
- National Dairy Alliance
- Regional Development Victoria
- United Dairy Farmers Victoria
Information Relating to Projects
Strategic Context and Future, with Possible Focus Areas for Collective Action
Articulates an agreed industry strategic context, likely drivers for the next decade and identifies areas of possible industry collective action. The report shows a positive outlook for the Australian dairy industry over the next decade but with a number of challenges to address along the way.
Expenditure and Infrastructure Data for Australian Dairy Research Development and Extension in Australia 2007
These reports provide a high level snapshot of Australian Dairy RD&E in 2007. The views are from both expenditure and infrastructure perspectives and incorporate both funder and provider information.
The reports also draw comparisons to similar studies in the past showing a reduction of funding and staffing of around 20 per cent and significant shifts in capability and funders.
A workshop was held with 26 representatives of dairy RDE stakeholders from around Australia. The meeting reviewed the strategy and structures to date, endorsed a path forward for taking this to the next level, and endorsed in the meantime the submission of a high level pre farm gate dairy RDE strategy to the Primary Industries Standing Committee, and the Primary Industries Ministerial Council.
The workshop reviewed, discussed, and generally endorsed
- The focus on five priority areas of RDE investment and capability:- Feed base, Animals, Farm Business Systems, People and Sustainable natural resources and taking this to the next more granular level
- A representation of a framework for discussing how RDE activity and investment is managed and how it differs according to the complexity, need, capability management and other dimensions. It was recognised that there had been a trend to more enduring collaborative structures in many areas
- A path ahead that further develops the priority areas, and also look specifically at the needs for extension and achieving on farm innovation in the future
- A workshop next year to bring these elements and the stakeholders together to examine the needs of the industry at more detailed level, possible actions and the needs and governance of industry strategy and collaborative activity in the future
- The commitment from the stakeholders to stay engaged.
A meeting of the representatives of the wider group of Dairy Research Development & Extension stakeholders was held on 11 March 2009 in Melbourne. The meeting reviewed the need, history and progress of the Dairy Moving Forward initiative to date. The participants also agreed the context for the industry and path for the next phase of implementation – of developing a national, integrated pre farm gate dairy RD&E strategy and capability plans, with the framework and actions for moving towards it.