Image: United Soybean Board
A new federal government project has just kicked off that will enable Australia’s independent farmers to have a more prominent seat at the negotiating table to ensure their influence isn’t grabbed up by the big supermarket chains.
In a major initiative that’s been the brainchild of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Barnaby Joyce, the Coalition government has initiated its Farm Co-operatives and Collaboration Pilot Program.
The delivery of the Pilot Program by Southern Cross University, valued at $13.8 million is a key part of the federal government’s commitment in its $4 billion Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper designed to promote ‘strong by fair competition throughout the agricultural supply chain’.
It’s a significant development for Australia’s farmers who have fallen into anxiety over their financial returns and the current conditions that lead to fewer dollars for them, but line the pockets of supermarket conglomerates and their corporate collaborators in the supply chain.
To illustrate this problem, ABC’s The Checkout created an informative and entertaining summary of the state of the dairy market and the supermarket price wars, which might mean great bargains for consumers, but place a heavy financial burden on Australia’s dairy farmers.
And this new Pilot Program hopes to give farmers and agricultural workers a new advantage, by granting them greater negotiating and bargaining power with corporate buyers of their produce.
Mr Joyce said “the further you reach down the supply chain the better returns received at the farm gate—it’s that simple. It’s better for the farmer, and it’s better for local communities and the people who live and work there.”
The government’s pilot program has received widespread support from the agricultural sector when it was formally launched this week at a two-day national forum.
Mr Joyce said the Pilot Program’s inaugural national forum, held in Kingscliff, NSW, brought together interested farmers and farming groups, farm advisers and people with expertise in co-operatives and other collaborative business models.
“Over 200 people from across the country have converged to network and learn about the potential of co-operatives, collective bargaining and other forms of collaboration in the agriculture sector,” Mr Joyce said.
