Tasmania in need of Dairy Farmers from the UK

Australia’s island of Tasmania is in preparation to launch a huge recruitment scheme in order for them to attract dairy farmers from the United Kingdom to work in the dairy units of the island. The production of milk in Tasmania has risen to an average rate of around 5 per cent per year for the last 10 years, which is an astounding increase of 43 per cent overall if you compare it to the country’s 4 per cent national decline all over Australia as a whole, and dairy workers from the United Kingdom are needed in order for the demand to be sufficiently met.

The growth in the milk production of Tasmania, according to DairyTas, a part of the Dairy Australia’s farmer levy body, has been credited to ”sustainable farm management practices, efficient farm production, as well as a favourable climate that suits dairy farming that is largely based on pasture.”

DairyTas has shown that the dairy farms of Tasmania right now have a strong investment potential for new farm conversions, as well as added processing capacity. ”Tasmania is launching a new campaign to lure international farmers to consider its local industry as a viable and sustainable dairy investment,” said Mr Steve Jarman, the person who is leading up a project by DairyTas called ‘Into Dairy’.

A visit to the United Kingdom to encourage Immigration to Australia

Mr Jarman is planning to visit the United Kingdom from the 11^th to the 17^th of May of this year, so that he can encourage UK dairy farmers more in applying for a temporary skilled 457 visa and have a much clearer vision of what Tasmania has to offer when it comes to dairy farming opportunities. They will be provided with all the information they need, as well as be informed that the dairy units in Australia cost approximately half of the prices in the United Kingdom.

Peter and Jo Jones, who moved from the United Kingdom to Tasmania in 2012, are just a strong example of a farming couple from the UK who have made the transition successfully into dairy farming in Tasmania. The couple is now managing a total of 780 cows for other owners in the island. Mr and Mrs Jones have also been able to acquire their own farm after their move to Australia, which is near the facility where the cows are being managed.

Mr Peter Jones spoke to Farmers Weekly, saying that what convinced them to make the move were the lower land prices, that there was far less red tape, and the fact that they are being able to do farming more in a way that they would like to. Farmers Weekly describes itself as a ‘leading multimedia information service for farmers and agricultural businesses in print, online and face-to-face.’

Farmers in Tasmania are looking forward to the future

Just recently, the national services body for the dairy industry and its farmers, Dairy Australia, has conducted an annual survey which discovered dairy farmers based in Australia are the ones who are most likely to have a more positive outlook regarding the dairy farming industry, even if there are rising concerns regarding prices of farmgate milks.

Most of the respondents for the survey stated that the last financial year provided them with an operational profit. The outlook for the present financial year however, is not as good as the farming season of Tasmania from 2015 to 2016 has been full of obstacles, this according to Farmers Weekly. These challenges included having to deal with weather conditions that are far warmer and drier than the usual. It was pointed out however, that a lot of the dairy holdings in Tasmania have had sufficient rainfall and irrigation.

Land prices in Tasmania are lower compared to that of the UK’s

It is in the hopes of Tasmania that they may be able to convince dairy farmers of the UK to come to the island, as they are bringing into the limelight the low land prices as the main reason why UK dairy farmers should. According to Harcourts, the real estate company based in New Zealand, there is a great number of dairy farms in Tasmania, all fully equipped and ready, and all up for sale at astounding prices which are around 50 per cent lower compared to the dairy farms in the United Kingdom.

This is not the 1^st time farmers in the UK are courted by Australia to make the big leap and migrate to the country. Back in October of last year, the government of Australia pushed for farmers from the UK as well as Ireland to apply for an Australian temporary skilled migration 457 visa.

”Australian, British, and Irish dairy systems have many similarities, all being mainly pasture-based (which means that the animals are being kept in fields),” said Mr Charlie McElhone of Dairy Australia at that time.

It was mentioned by Mr McElhone that the dairy industry of Australia had a strong British and Irish influenced mixed into it, and that labour from the UK and Ireland are completely commonplace all over the industry.

The comments of Mr McElhone came in the middle of increasing labour shortage all over the farming sector of the country, with a lot of the 6,300 dairy farms in Australia experiencing a lot of problems when it comes to finding enough skilled workers.

Commenting on the dependence of the dairy industry on the skilled immigration system of Australia, the strategy manager of Dairy Australia, Ms Claire Miller, has this to say about the matter: ”The dairy industry will continue to be reliant upon the Australian skilled immigration system in order to recruit from overseas and meet labour demands in the short to medium term.”

The shortage on skilled workers was alleviated in recent years by hiring individuals from the backpacking community. Ms Miller stated however, that as much as they were able to help in getting things done, they are not the ”long-term solution for Australia’s farming industry.”

She also went on to say that by the time a farmer has these backpackers fully trained, they are already in the process of moving on.

Source: WorkPermit.com