Carlene Dowie

Australian dairy farmers will have their say on the future level of the dairy service levy.

An online forum exploring the opportunities for dairy beef will be held later this month.

Dairy farmer confidence levels have leapt in the past year on the back of good seasonal conditions and strong milk prices that have lifted farm profitability levels.

Bega Cheese has lifted its opening milk price just 10 days after announcing it, as the battle for milk supply intensifies.

Saputo has lifted its 2021/22 opening price to $6.85 a kilogram milk solids, up 20 cents/kg MS on the price it announced on Tuesday.

Fonterra has lifted its 2021/22 opening price to $6.85 a kilogram milk solids, up 30 cents/kg MS.

Fonterra has upped the ante, announcing a $6.55 a kilogram milk solids 2020/21 opening price three weeks ahead of the June 1 deadline.

Major Australian dairy processors are looking forward to the coming season with optimism, having come out the COVID-19 pandemic in a good position, an Australian Dairy Conference webinar in March heard.

The dairy industry code of conduct, new contract arrangements for the majority of farmers and the COVID-19 pandemic have fundamentally altered the way dairy farmgate prices are set in Australia.

A call by dairy business analyst David Beca to overhaul the Dairy Australia board election process has been taken on board by the organisation, who will meet with him this month.