The Queensland Dairyfarmers’ Organisation (QDO) has always been willing to assist with new market opportunities that will collectively benefit our industry and our farmer members.
The Integrated Dairy Project proposed by LARPRO and their general manager Steve Laracy looks to be one of the most promising and practical market opportunities in recent times.
While dairy farmers are understandably cautious, after disappointments such as the shelving of the Hope Dairies project, they are still keen to see new market opportunities open up.
Over recent years Mr Laracy has kept in contact with QDO including his attendance at our board meeting last month. He was also a key speaker at the QDO Forum held in Toogoolawah last year where he clearly outlined the advantages of building a dairy manufacturing plant in close proximity to the Wellcamp Brisbane West International Airport. He spoke on advantages that come with having a lowest cost freight option to get quality dairy products flown into the big population centres in southern China.
As with most things worth doing, it won’t happen overnight and dairy farmers will understandably get lot more interested once the first concrete is poured. The project will move sensibly in stages with a two-year gap before local milk intake commences. Once the plant makes its mark on the southern Queensland milk market, and as the project looks to expand, there will likely be an increase in demand and competition within the region.
This project has offered the strongest outlook and prospects when compared to various genuine and tyre kicker schemes QDO has heard over the past several years.
To update farmers and the industry, Steve Laracy will once again be a speaker at our QDO AGM Forum to be held on August 29 in Toowoomba. I urge members to attend the forum to ensure they remain up-to-date and aware of business opportunities as they present themselves within the Queensland dairy industry.
