According to Dairy Australia’s annual report, total expenditure for the year 2013-2014 was up by six percent, representing a record $61.8million.
The national services body said that throughout the period, it had invested in 63 projects and 15 key strategic programs, with one third of the expenditure allocated to its key farm margin improvement objectives.
According to managing director, Ian Halliday, 62 percent of Dairy Australia’s expenditure was directed at RD&E activities across the supply chain.
Halliday listed the three key strategic priorities for the organisation over the period and into the future:
1. Increasing farm profitability and competitiveness
2. Protecting and promoting industry; inclusive of delivering activities that build credibility within the farming sector and the broader Australian and international communities
3. Growing people capability and skills: Working towards driving farm profitability by attracting, retaining and developing people within the industry including a renewed focus developing new incentives together with ongoing work via the National Centre for Dairy Education Australia (NCDEA)
Halliday also emphasised that in addition to increased spend in RD&E, the organisation had also identified up to $500,000 in savings.
“We continue to focus on costs to ensure we are delivering benefits to farmers efficiently," Halliday worte in the report. "During the 2013/14 financial year we identified savings in excess of $500,000, in addition to the ongoing savings maintained from previous years. Most savings were realised by rationalising externally commissioned services.
The Dairy Australia Annual General Meeting will be held on Friday 28 November 2014 in the Atrium at Flemington Racecourse.