GUEST SPEAKER

 

Gavin Matheson, Executive Officer, WestVic Dairy

Rotarian Anne Adams introduced Gavin Matheson, the Executive Officer of WestVic Dairy. Gavin delivered a very interesting talk about his origins growing up on a farm in Naringal, attending school in Naringal East, then Warrnambool and Ballarat. He worked for for Fisheries and Wildlife Department and in various regional areas across Victoria as well as NSW, SA, Cyprus and Mexico, working for the EPA and is now the Executive Officer of WestVic Dairy. He described how WestVic Dairy focuses on developing training and capacity building for farming businesses throughout Victoria with emphasis placed on:
  • animal performance issues, i.e. fertility
  • pasture management
  • employment
  • transition, i.e. selling property and how to do this
  • natural resource management
  • longer term strategic planning
  • risk management, i.e. farmers working in a way that protects their products to maintain export markets.
Gavin explained that there are 1500 - 1600 dairy businesses across Victoria, the majority of which are locate between Colac and Warrnambool. 75% of Australian milk comes from Victoria, with 25% coming from Southwest Victoria.  90% of Southwest Victorian milk is exported as various products and 10% is consumed. Dairy is therefore a significant export product.
Over the last 10 years New Zealand has doubled its production, whilst Australian production has declined. Gavin believes the increase in NZ production is partly attributed to the willingness of farmers to work together and share experiences and lessons, something many Australian farmers do not do. Reports on the impact of climatic conditions as well as negative media reporting on the dairy industry do not provide a true reflection of the majority of successful dairy farms in Victoria.
Gavin explained that in the past farmers worked on a day-to-day basis, however this has now changed and farmers need to be more strategic in the management of their farms and run them via a 3-5 year business plan. WestVic Dairy has consultants who can assist farmers in their business planning.
In an endeavour to raise the profile and address perceptions of the dairy industry in Australia and double milk production over the next 10 years, WestVic Dairy is launching a new campaign this week called Legindairy.
For access to the report Horizons 2020 - Future Scenarios for the Australian Dairy Industry press the following link. Horizons 2020
Anne Adams thanked Gavin for his extremely interesting talk and presented him with a certificate for a mosquito net to be given to a needy family in New Guinea.