Dairy conference boosts local producers

The three-day event, which began on Monday, 6 June 2011, brought together large commercial and emerging farmers and representatives from the entire dairy value chain.

The event gave SA milk producers a "unique" opportunity to join a select group in the international farming community and delegates benefited from the most up-to-date information on techniques and technology.

The conference, organised by the Milk Producers Organisation and the Centre for Producer Development, was characterised by a contingent of industry leaders and speakers from New Zealand, Australia, the US, Argentina, Israel and SA. The gathering was held in East London in the Eastern Cape.

"The aim of the conference is to put participants in a position to take away a strategic vision for their own farms based on their own circumstances and needs," De Jongh said.

The local dairy industry has been in steady decline since 1980, with commercial producers under representation, down to 2670 from 30 000.

De Jongh attributed the sharp drop partly to SA's dairy industry operating entirely according to free market principles, which resulted in subsidised dairy imports, mainly from European countries and the US.

Local producers had been squeezed out of business as result.

"It is only logical under these operating conditions emerging farmers would find it difficult to surface, when big commercial operators struggle in this manner.

"Thankfully, though, we have managed to set up a working group made up of ourselves and the Department of Trade and Industry to look into viable options to revive the industry," he said.

The chief executive also highlighted high operating costs to producers as another inhibiting factor to overall production. These included fuel, maize and fertilisers.

The organisation represents 84% of milk producers across the country.