CATTLE Australia chief executive Dr Chris Parker is not concerned about Australia’s agricultural commodity and state farmers bodies looking beyond membership fees to fund their organisations and industry services.

Dr Chris Parker

Funding of the farmer bodies is an ongoing issue, as they battle to maintain membership income and linkages to national organisations, while serving members’ interests.

In the sheep space, Sheep Producers Australia has received some criticism of its initiative to market electronic tags direct to producers and to accept federal grant money as part of the live sheep export transition process.

WoolProducers Australia utilised federal grant monies to investigate early stage processing in Australia and overseas, and last week the Victorian Farmers Federation announced it had partnered with Nutrien Ag Solutions to fund dedicated drought support services.

While part of a VFF Livestock Conference panel discussing ‘agricultural policy, advocacy and influencing public opinion’ last week, Dr Parker was asked if he thought the objectivity and independence of SFOs and peak bodies to advocate and lobby on behalf of their industries is diminished or jeopardized by taking funding from government or private sources.

“I don’t think it matters where the funding comes … I really don’t,” Dr Parker told the conference in Bendigo.

“I think that we are in a world for advocating for our members … I run an organization that this year will have a $3.5 million budget,” he said.

“It will have a significant service agreement with Meat & Livestock Australia that will deliver a whole range of things.

“We have a significant component of our budget that is associated with membership dollars and sponsorship … all of those people are very very clear on the role of the organization and what we do,” Dr Parker said.

“And so I don’t think it matters where the money comes from, I’m maybe a bit of a tart like that, but I’m pretty happy to take (from) whoever wants to give Cattle Australia money, but you’ve got to understand this is what we do and we’re very clear on our values and on our purpose.

“And I know, to be blunt, because I spend a lot of time with (Sheep Producers Australia CEO) Bonnie (Skinner) in the same office, that Sheep Producers (Australia) are very much the same, and I just don’t think it matters.

“Funding source for me is not entirely relevant and if it becomes relevant well then they can take it away, eh, and then we’ll see the colour of where they really stand.”

Ms Skinner said what is important for SPA is having the structure and governance within the organization “to make sure that we can deal with the funds that we receive appropriately and still do our job.”

“We do that through pretty rigorous internal processes.

“It is really important for us as an organisation culturally that we are transparent and that we are operating with full integrity in the matter in which we do our business,” she said.

“The reality is that we do need to go to non-traditional sources of funding …. we have to keep evolving.”

Ms Skinner said the body’s structure was deliberately changed from that of its predecessor, the Sheepmeat Council of Australia, to SPA as a company limited by guarantee.

“That means we can go after commercial opportunities, it means we can do all those things as long as we are doing them in pursuit of our core objectives and so we feel comfortable that we have those systems in place, but we’ll actually continue to evolve those as well.”

Partnership to employ a drought support advisor

Happy with the Nutrien Ag Solutions partnership, were from left, VFF livestock president Scott Young, United Dairyfarmers of Victoria president Bernie Free, drought support advisor Kim Tupper and VFF president Brett Hosking.

VFF president Brett Hosking said the new Nutrien Ag Solutions initiative, dubbed the Victorian Drought Support Program, aimed to act as a ‘one-stop-shop’ for farmers seeking drought assistance and to identify future areas of support to lend farmers a helping hand.

The partnership will support the VFF employing a dedicated drought support advisor to help farmers to access existing drought support grants, coordinate well-being events and act as a critical link between farmers and decision makers to identify potential gaps in drought support.

“Farmers in every corner of Victoria are telling us they need a central point they can contact when it comes to drought assistance and the issues they’re facing.

“Thanks to Nutrien Ag Solutions for helping us to make this happen,” Mr Hosking said.

“Farmers can directly contact the VFF’s drought support advisor, Kim Tupper, who will help streamline individual drought applications, connect farmers with financial counsellors and mental heath services, and provide risk management support.”

“We know the impact of this drought is far-reaching and will linger for years. It’s so important we have a resource on the ground listening to farmers every day and feeding that back, so we can direct support to where it’s needed and most effective,” he said.

Nutrien Ag Solutions general manager- western Victoria, David Wood said the business is built around supporting Australian farmers and knows how tough the season has been across Victoria.

“By partnering with the VFF, we’re investing in meaningful, practical support that will make a real difference in helping farmers navigate the challenges they’re facing today, and building resilience for tomorrow.”

Farmer feedback received from the initiative will be used to help guide decision making regarding further drought support administered by the VFF’s Disaster Relief Fund, the VFF said.