BrooksUncensoredDairyIndustryDroughtReport

Speaking From the Heart by Christopher Brooks     AUSTRALIAN DAIRYFARMER   July-August 2003

My wife Carolyn and I, along with our children manage what was only a short time ago a progressive and productive dairy farm
looking forward to achieving our dreams. We strive to marry the potential of our abilities with ‘Karingal”, our property, gradually
releasing reality, like an artist painting his canvas, seeking to fulfil the deepest desires of our souls. Farming is an intense and
challenging undertaking, not unlike raising children, which provides rewards with searing satisfaction and pleasure that no human
language can begin to describe. Farming also can test the depths of human endurance and despair.
The very severe drought, combined with the collapse of our milk price, has introduced us to dimensions of financial and
psychological stress that we can well do without.
The serious plight of dairy farming families and our broader dairy community must be sustained at the forefront of our political
servants and the media as the struggle for survival will not end any time soon for many farmers even though the long awaited rain has
begun to drench our thirsty land.

What is the future with Dairy Herd decline?
I have a particular deep and urgent concern at the rate of dairy cow culling. The most essential resource of the industry shrinks day by
day because farmers cannot afford to feed their cows through to next season. What effect will this tragic waste have on the future
hopes of recovery in the coming seasons when lush pastures and reinvigorated farmers face the prospect of scarce replacements and
milk factories straining to find milk flow to meet contracts and minimise per litre processing costs?
In my assessment, the retention of the dairy herd should have been a primary focus of drought assistance from the outset.    I don’t
think I need to detail the vast dairy community beyond the farm gate that depend on the milk flowing from our grazing herds for their
prosperity and business health.
I am disappointed and bewildered that, faced with such extreme climatic conditions, the best our society can muster is not much
better than the savage law of the jungle mentality that deems acceptable the devouring of the weak and vulnerable by the strong
and powerful.
Often in silence our community accepts the plight of those less fortunate, despite impossible drought conditions and unjust low
returns draining away honestly sought dreams. Too often, we excuse the brutal policy of monopoly as some sort of natural “survival of
the fittest”.
The resources of the established allow opportunities to be exploited when the weak have exhausted their resources and must
surrender at fire sale prices.
Many individuals and families are being forced to endure torturous hardship, stress and loss despite years of honest dedication to their
farms, herds and communities.
If justice and compassion are to be disregarded by our community as we navigate our path forward we should bow our heads in
shame as a sorry and disgraceful example of civilized humanity. We have become predatory and callous in our policy all the while
mouthing meaningless niceties and platitudes of hypocrisy.
Like many families we have severely exhausted our resources in hopeful endeavour willing the tide to turn towards recovery and
normality but the worst theoretical scenario became our harsh reality.   No rain, rising feed costs and depressing milk returns became
the nightmare trifecta that has bruised and battered if not critically wounded a substantial portion of the dairy industry.
Certainly not on our own, we now wrestle with gut wrenching decisions as we struggle to find a path that will lead us through the
winter and into next season with a herd that will give us some hope of a bearable recovery.
We cannot help but question whether the dairy industry, in its current state of servitude to powerful monopolies, holds any worthwhile
prospect of a dignified future for our family?
How can I not be a little disappointed at the welcome but relatively small assistance offered by Government comparative to the
climatic disaster and low milk returns? Our Government ignores creative compassionate policy, often choosing publicity allusions and
exaggerated benevolence while the harsh and muddled reality is bean counting and red tape which provides good work for
accountants and consultants who promise to ease the pain of our serfdom but refuse to confront the cause of our dilemma.

“Market” myth and lies
It cannot be escaped that the magnitude of the heart breaking experience of this season was sown over many years of foolish
pandering to the Trojan Horse of mythical market philosophies based on the ridiculous belief that powerful International monopolies
would deliver a benevolent outcome if let off the leash of regulation. I would sooner trust a fox to care for new born lambs.
The evidence is now clear to all but the most fervent advocates of free market theory that dairy industry regulation was sane,
regulation was sensible and regulation was just. Regulation is nothing less than essential to deliver a just stable dividend to all milk
producers.

Carolyn and I are hardly surprised when the powerful monopolies vested in retail and international trade ruthlessly manipulate and
exploit milk producers to raise their profits and strengthen their control.
Our disappointment is deeper when the policies advanced by the merchants of greed and power are embraced by those who assume
industry leadership and management along with our political servants. Never the less, the conscious or otherwise allure of ambition
and power explain a great deal of the betrayal of the dairy farmer’s interests. The intellectually bankrupt ideology of totally
unregulated trade was wrapped in a false worldly sophistication and those who give favour and support to this madness are sustained
and rewarded generously with privilege and kudos while the Australian dairy industry is gradually conquered by the multinational
usurpers.
What is totally bewildering to us is the willingness of many dairy farmers to pay their dues and vote at the political ballot box in
support of the gradual surrender of effective ownership of our product and industry.
Many milk producers appear to have embraced the serfdom of deregulation with relish, yet, paradoxically now appear surprised at the
chaos and injustice of a trading environment which has no moral or ethical foundation and only one rule; whatever you can get away
with.
This is the unstable foundation of our future and we are not overjoyed. In fact it is cause for some despair.

The United Dairy Farmers of Victoria, which claims questionable legitimacy in speaking for the interest of all milk producers, has
demonstrated neither the imagination nor courage to seek any alternative to a submissive acceptance of defeat before the corporate
powers that dominate the dairy industry.   Many well rewarded industry commentators sing along with the same tune including factory
management, journalists and professional board and committee members. None of these people depend entirely for their livelihood
on milk returns yet they surrender our future without protest only considering as acceptable policy that which does not threaten the
power of monopolies to leach the honest milk producer’s just income.

Wrong way, go back
Unless the horrendous errors of recent years are confronted, understood and corrected the plight of honest dairy farmers will not be at
all comfortable.   The International trade environment must be honestly characterised as completely unreliable and corrupt. This is
unlikely to change in my lifetime despite the regular nonsense sprouted by some industry observers and managers about “optimism”
for future “progress” towards “fair” trade. The brutal reality cannot be escaped. International dairy trade is plainly a cruel hoax of false
promise.
Domestic market controls must be urgently implemented to redress and cushion the power and chaos now subverting the just and
honest intentions of milk producers.
Australian farmers have no real influence in Brussels or Washington but it is within our sphere of moral power to organise a regulated
stable domestic trade environment that respects a just dividend for all participants.
To accept the injustice of current dairy returns without a defensive response is a betrayal of our hard fought heritage of freedom and
fairness. I have no confidence in any person who lacks the courage to claim a just result for all.

Is research relevant to farms without cows?
What are the real possibilities for obtaining urgently required bandage funds for farmers by releasing Gardiner Foundation funds?
This is just one option that should be explored to provide better options than slaughtering stock.
It’s not easy to appreciate any value in research for the dairy industries future competitive state when your priority is getting your herd
through the coming winter and mere survival in the face of crushing feed costs. The unique unprecedented threat to the viable future
of the dairy sector demands all avenues be explored.
There is no material impediment to achieving a more compassionate and intelligent solution to the rigours facing farming families.
When the farm business sector begins to spend and plan the whole community will feel the flow on benefits.
Many excellent, honest and hard working   farming families in vulnerable circumstance will be tragically no longer a part of the dairy
community. We all loose at their plight.

Power and Greed rule over sane possible solutions
Absent is creative political vision and courage to see beyond the ordinary to the possible. Decision makers with the resources and
responsibility to act must do so urgently.
Legislative, financial and bureaucratic systems are only the constructs of human intelligence, imagination, thought and action.   If
we are so blind that we trample on the justice of our neighbours and fail to defend each others honestly sought dreams then we are
slaves to our own flawed systems and tragically deny our society the creative opportunity afforded by this drought for a victory for
humanity over despair and hopelessness.

The only real measure of a society’s progress and efficiency can be that which places human happiness, contentment, security and
justice above the material and financial.
Contrast this with the attitude of industry “High Priests” who accept lower real returns, corrupted trade and mythical market theories
without defensive measures necessary to achieve a sensible balance. The living standards and corrupt market environment we seek to
compete with elsewhere would be unacceptable if not criminal in Australia.
The Globalization “Trojan Horse” appears to have disarmingly mesmerized our community into acceptance of a self destructive
policy leading towards our gradual submission and eventual conquest.
The great spiritual and intellectual adventure on offer in our age is to recognise that solutions that have not been attempted before
are possible.   It is not unreasonable to expect a fair return for milk along with a stable and sensible trading atmosphere which
provides a reasonable power balance. The multi nationals will always resist this course because it is against their interest. The issue
is plainly a challenge for dairy farmers to understand their capacity and moral right to seek a defensive policy. There appears to be
no hope of this defence being lead by the high priests who currently assume leadership.

What kind of life and future do we desire?
Passionate energetic visionaries are needed to focus on implementing policy of inspirational character that serves first and foremost
human values. The “Industry” is only worthy if it successfully achieves the outcomes that are desired by all participants within a just
reality.
As individuals we are the best qualified person to design our own future. We must not be found waiting for another to lead us to a
better way; we must ensure that we are actively a part of the better way.
Nothing less than tenacious, resolute and informed farmer communities prepared to act as individuals can hope to progress our lives
towards a just prosperity reflecting the expanding abundance of reality.
Surely it is reasonable and moral to expect our financial dividends to reflect the productive and technological expansion of our age,
or, perhaps we are serfs grateful
to have the opportunity to enrich our baron masters.
We must fiercely and passionately demand that no less than the clear abundance of our human and material
resources be reflected in our living circumstance along with the expanding opportunities for security and
prosperity in our future lives. Is it possible that we would embrace the servitude of economic dictatorship when
such promise and potential are real and attainable? Do we have the intellectual and social maturity to stand our
ground in the face of predatory multi national power?
Defeatist ideology accepting servitude and diminishing real returns must be loudly exposed and discarded.
Why would anyone choose self destructive policy?
Those who are prepared to grasp the challenge of defending our natural and moral inheritance now and in the
future must inspire and cultivate their peers towards an understanding of our bountiful real potential to release
reality and achieve the dreams of our future.