Media Release: Dairy industry mandatory Code of Conduct on its way

By January 2020 the Australian dairy industry will have a mandatory code of conduct.

Senator for South Australia Anne Ruston said the mandatory code would improve the contractual arrangements between dairy farmers and dairy processors.

“We need to assist our farmers and producers, equipping them with the best possibility to remain commercially viable,” Senator Ruston said.

“The mandatory code is an election promise and is an outcome of the April 2018 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) report into the dairy sector.

“There are clear needs for safeguards outlining how farmers are treated as members of the supply chain.

“Ahead of the code’s formal introduction the dairy industry is on notice to make sure that the contracts offered to farmers are appropriate and fair.”

Senator Ruston said the dairy industry will continue to have a significant role in developing the code.

“Consultation on the exposure code will be open for four weeks and, from January 2020, the industry will be bound by the new code,” she said.

“Stakeholder consultation is an essential component in the development of this mandatory code and I encourage the South Australia dairy industry to review it and have a say.”

For further information visit the Department of Agriculture’s Have Your Say survey site.