Victoria Minister for Agriculture and Regional Development Jaclyn Symes

Backing Our Dairy Farmers In Northern Victoria

Victor P Taffa

Andrews Government is getting on with supporting our dairy farmers in Northern Victoria with funding for an industry-led project aimed at boosting jobs, training and skills across the sector.

Minister for Agriculture and Regional Development Jaclyn Symes visited a dairy farm in Mooroopna today with representatives from Dairy Australia and Murray Dairy to discuss progress on a skills development project.

“Changing face of agriculture makes it critical to give our farmers the skills, training and qualifications they need to stay at the forefront of our $13 Billion industry.” Minister for Agriculture and Regional Development Jaclyn Symes said.

“We’re focused on making agriculture an attractive, profitable and rewarding industry for our young people, as well as ensuring it is best placed to capitalise on international and domestic markets.”

As Victoria’s dairy industry continues to respond to drought and skills shortages, the State Government’s $35,000 grant from the Regional Skills Fund is aimed at building local capacity and resilience as well as creating jobs.

‘Defining future dairy industry service sector skills project’ has been driven by industry and was identified by the Goulburn Regional Partnership.

“With our support, the dairy sector is leading the way to plan for the future and position the sector for growth.” Member for Northern Victoria Mark Gepp said.

Project aims to identify future state-wide dairy skill requirements in line with the rapidly changing environment that the industry now operates within.

Murray Dairy is leading the project and has engaged a consultant to undertake market analysis of Victoria’s dairy services sector, and map current and future skills needs.

Final report will include a dairy industry skills development plan with identified pathways and stakeholders to implement the plan at a regional level.

It will also guide the development of materials and programs delivered by the various education and extension providers.

With more people in the industry with the right skills, it will lead to productivity benefits, an increase of emerging technologies and more ability to respond to future industry challenges.

Dairy is a key agricultural industry in regional Victoria, accounting for more than 62 % of annual national milk production and exports worth $1.9 Billion in 2017-18.