Extreme weather strikes again! How dairy farmers are struggling to stay afloat
- Replies 1
Extreme weather events can have devastating consequences, particularly for industries that rely on precise logistics and uninterrupted supply chains.
When unexpected disruptions occur, the impact can be swift and severe.
Flooding in northern New South Wales and southern Queensland exposed the struggles of dairy farmers and the vulnerabilities of primary producers.
Extreme weather has once again wreaked havoc on Australian farmers, with dairy producers in northern New South Wales and southern Queensland bearing the brunt of the damage.
Flooding from ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred left many properties inaccessible, forcing farmers to dump thousands of litres of milk that could not be collected.
Julie Moore, a dairy farmer from Dorrigo on the Mid North Coast, had no choice but to discard over 9,000 litres across three days before trucks could finally reach her property.
‘Being a raw product, you just can't keep storing it on farm—it's supposed to be picked up every 48 hours and no longer,’ she said.
‘We did try and stretch it to 72 hours but we had to dump it after that.’
Nearby, at Deer Vale, Chris Morgan faced a similar predicament, pouring out approximately 6,000 litres while waiting for road access to be restored.
‘It's not a very nice feeling when you've just got to pull the bung and watch it go,’ he said.
The damage extended across the region, with eastAUSmilk chief executive Eric Danzi estimating that at least 50 dairies had been affected.
Despite the losses, dairy processor Norco continued paying farmers for the milk they were unable to deliver, as outlined in their supply agreements.
‘In extreme circumstances like this, with flooding, it's written in [the milk supply agreement] that they will pay us for any milk that we have to dispose of,’ Ms Moore said.
‘We definitely don't like to see it running down the drain, but to know that we're going to be paid for it, and for those three days we didn't work for nothing, makes it much easier.’
However, uncertainty loomed over how long payments would continue.
‘[Norco] are doing everything they can on their side of things, but as far as how long they're going to keep paying us for milk we're tipping down the drain, I don't know,’ Mr Morgan said.
Beyond the immediate milk losses, infrastructure damage complicated the recovery process, with landslips and road closures adding to the challenges.
A landslide on Waterfall Way forced truck drivers into lengthy detours before reaching Ms Moore’s property.
At Deer Vale, a landslip on a key access road cut off transport routes entirely, leaving farmers unable to move their product.
For some, prior experience with extreme weather had prompted proactive measures.
Tweed Valley dairy farmers Jim and Debra Allard lost power for four days.
They kept operations running with a generator bought after ex-Tropical Cyclone Debbie in 2017.
‘That's been a lifesaver — I wouldn't be without it,’ Mr Allard said.
Ms Allard found a way to make use of the milk that would have otherwise been wasted.
‘We knew the tanker wouldn't be making it so I've been making cheese with the morning and afternoon milk,’ she said.
‘I’ve gone through 2,600 litres of milk.’
In the Scenic Rim, south of Brisbane, dairy farmer and eastAUSmilk director Kay Tommerup also adapted to the situation.
‘In my area, in Kerry, they haven't had to dump any milk, which has been great,’ she said.
Instead of discarding excess milk, Ms Tommerup repurposed it.
‘We actually fed it to our pigs, so it still had a use,’ she said.
As farmers worked to recover, Ms Tommerup urged primary producers to complete assessment surveys to ensure they received necessary assistance.
‘That will give government an idea to what extent the damage is on farms, then hopefully we'll see the rollout of those recovery grant programs,’ she said.
The NSW and Queensland governments made support available, with affected producers able to access recovery surveys online.
Recovery centres were also established in Lismore, Tweed, Ballina, Coffs Harbour, Byron, Yamba and Lillian Rock to assist those needing government services and insurance support.
In addition, personal hardship assistance payments of up to $180 per person or $900 per family were available to those who lost power for over 48 hours or were forced to evacuate.
NSW Premier Chris Minns confirmed that more than 8,000 applications for financial assistance had already been submitted.
‘We want people to take advantage of that [financial assistance],’ he said.
With roads still damaged and many farmers yet to fully resume normal operations, the focus remained on rebuilding after yet another severe weather event.
In a previous story, we covered how extreme weather can bring unexpected dangers beyond property damage.
As floodwaters receded, residents faced an alarming new threat invading their homes.
Read more to see how communities dealt with this shocking aftermath.
Extreme weather continues to challenge Australia’s farmers, forcing them to adapt in unexpected ways.
How do you think dairy producers can better prepare for future disruptions?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
When unexpected disruptions occur, the impact can be swift and severe.
Flooding in northern New South Wales and southern Queensland exposed the struggles of dairy farmers and the vulnerabilities of primary producers.
Extreme weather has once again wreaked havoc on Australian farmers, with dairy producers in northern New South Wales and southern Queensland bearing the brunt of the damage.
Flooding from ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred left many properties inaccessible, forcing farmers to dump thousands of litres of milk that could not be collected.
Julie Moore, a dairy farmer from Dorrigo on the Mid North Coast, had no choice but to discard over 9,000 litres across three days before trucks could finally reach her property.
Floods force farmers to dump milk. Image source: Julie Moore
‘Being a raw product, you just can't keep storing it on farm—it's supposed to be picked up every 48 hours and no longer,’ she said.
‘We did try and stretch it to 72 hours but we had to dump it after that.’
Nearby, at Deer Vale, Chris Morgan faced a similar predicament, pouring out approximately 6,000 litres while waiting for road access to be restored.
‘It's not a very nice feeling when you've just got to pull the bung and watch it go,’ he said.
The damage extended across the region, with eastAUSmilk chief executive Eric Danzi estimating that at least 50 dairies had been affected.
Despite the losses, dairy processor Norco continued paying farmers for the milk they were unable to deliver, as outlined in their supply agreements.
‘In extreme circumstances like this, with flooding, it's written in [the milk supply agreement] that they will pay us for any milk that we have to dispose of,’ Ms Moore said.
‘We definitely don't like to see it running down the drain, but to know that we're going to be paid for it, and for those three days we didn't work for nothing, makes it much easier.’
However, uncertainty loomed over how long payments would continue.
‘[Norco] are doing everything they can on their side of things, but as far as how long they're going to keep paying us for milk we're tipping down the drain, I don't know,’ Mr Morgan said.
Beyond the immediate milk losses, infrastructure damage complicated the recovery process, with landslips and road closures adding to the challenges.
A landslide on Waterfall Way forced truck drivers into lengthy detours before reaching Ms Moore’s property.
At Deer Vale, a landslip on a key access road cut off transport routes entirely, leaving farmers unable to move their product.
For some, prior experience with extreme weather had prompted proactive measures.
Tweed Valley dairy farmers Jim and Debra Allard lost power for four days.
They kept operations running with a generator bought after ex-Tropical Cyclone Debbie in 2017.
‘That's been a lifesaver — I wouldn't be without it,’ Mr Allard said.
Ms Allard found a way to make use of the milk that would have otherwise been wasted.
‘We knew the tanker wouldn't be making it so I've been making cheese with the morning and afternoon milk,’ she said.
‘I’ve gone through 2,600 litres of milk.’
In the Scenic Rim, south of Brisbane, dairy farmer and eastAUSmilk director Kay Tommerup also adapted to the situation.
‘In my area, in Kerry, they haven't had to dump any milk, which has been great,’ she said.
Instead of discarding excess milk, Ms Tommerup repurposed it.
‘We actually fed it to our pigs, so it still had a use,’ she said.
As farmers worked to recover, Ms Tommerup urged primary producers to complete assessment surveys to ensure they received necessary assistance.
‘That will give government an idea to what extent the damage is on farms, then hopefully we'll see the rollout of those recovery grant programs,’ she said.
The NSW and Queensland governments made support available, with affected producers able to access recovery surveys online.
Recovery centres were also established in Lismore, Tweed, Ballina, Coffs Harbour, Byron, Yamba and Lillian Rock to assist those needing government services and insurance support.
In addition, personal hardship assistance payments of up to $180 per person or $900 per family were available to those who lost power for over 48 hours or were forced to evacuate.
NSW Premier Chris Minns confirmed that more than 8,000 applications for financial assistance had already been submitted.
‘We want people to take advantage of that [financial assistance],’ he said.
With roads still damaged and many farmers yet to fully resume normal operations, the focus remained on rebuilding after yet another severe weather event.
In a previous story, we covered how extreme weather can bring unexpected dangers beyond property damage.
As floodwaters receded, residents faced an alarming new threat invading their homes.
Read more to see how communities dealt with this shocking aftermath.
Extreme weather continues to challenge Australia’s farmers, forcing them to adapt in unexpected ways.
How do you think dairy producers can better prepare for future disruptions?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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