Dairy Farmers of New Zealand (DFNZ) Chairman Charlie Pedersen said today that the DFNZ's recent Australia-based AGM and
Study Tour of the Victorian dairy industry was a huge success. "The Australians admired our pragmatic approach towards
the formation of Global Co," said Mr Pedersen.
Mr Pedersen had been invited to give a keynote address to the United Dairy Farmers of Victoria (UDV) annual conference
and built upon that invite by transporting his own AGM to Shepparton, Australia, to run contiguously with the UDV.
"The positives from the exchange of ideas and views, and the increased understanding of each other's industry will
benefit both dairy industries well into the future," Mr Pedersen commented.
However Mr Pedersen warned that he felt uneasy at the praise the New Zealand dairy industry received for its pragmatic
drive towards the formation of Global Co.
"It is obvious that some dairy industry leaders are dragging the chain and insisting on a longwinded "let's go down
every side street" approach."
"There are only a few days left to pick up the legislative process Government has provided. If our leaders don't treat
the situation with the respect it deserves, then as the only NZ dairy farmer lobby group, it will become our
responsibility to drive the process for farmers," warned Mr Pedersen.
"While we would be reluctant to do this the dairy company constitutions are constructed so that farmers can take matters
into their own hands if Directors are sufficiently out of step with farmer wishes," Mr Pedersen concluded.
ENDS