The meeting, hosted by Alpine Valleys Dairy Pathways Project and Member for Indi Cathy McGowan, resolved to send a dairy delegation to Canberra on March 22 to put agriculture front and centre in the halls of power.

“We need to get to Canberra, we need to talk to politicians and we need to ruffle a few feathers,” AVDPP chairman Stuart Crosthwaite said after Wednesday’s meeting.

“I really do believe that dairy and agriculture could be the backbone to the economy.

“But they need to commit for more than three years. It’s a 10 to 20-year commitment because we’re talking about changing the culture and we’re talking about bringing the next generation through.

“That’s not going to happen with a couple of programs over a six to 12-month period.”

Mr Crosthwaite compared Australia’s dairy industry with New Zealand, which had seen a production boom because they had a government which understood agricultural issues and needs.

The Alpine Valleys was among Australia’s most profitable dairy regions and the AVDPP believed the region’s 200 million litres annual output could double by 2025.

Mr Crosthwaite said dairy farming used about 8 per cent of arable land in the region but contributed 30 per cent of the farmgate income. The dairy industry generated $380 million annually across the supply chain.

“We’ve had a mining boom and now we need a dining boom,” Ms McGowan told the meeting.

“I’m absolutely committed to the future of agriculture in North East Victoria and how we can place it right at the centre of the growth.”

Ms McGowan said the government had failed our farmers since the dairy crisis unfolded last May.

The government recently handed down a report after hearing dairy farmers’ concerns late last year.

“The long and the short of it is only two of the issues that came out of this meeting were being addressed,” she said. “The problems haven’t been fixed up. Clearly that’s not good enough … it just shows a lack of political intent.”