Victorian dairy lobby group Farmer Power calls it a day

That now leaves two dairy advocacy groups in the state, the newly formed Dairy Farmers Victoria and United Dairyfarmers of Victoria, which is part of the Victorian Farmers Federation.

Former Farmer Power chief executive Garry Kerr said it had been decided to disband the group, formed in January 2013, and recommend members join the UDV.

Farmer Power came to prominence at the height of the 2016 dairy crisis when co-operative Murray Goulburn and Fonterra announced they were slashing their farmgate milk price.

Mr Kerr said there were a number of reasons behind winding up the organisation.

"Farmer Power was never set up to cause division, it was set up as a voice for dairy farmers who weren't being heard," he said.

"In the process of doing that, we formed some relationships with UDV members, we dealt with a number of UDV members on both sides of the fence and their was a lot of talk about the way to go."

He claimed when Dairy Farmers Victoria was set up, it was done without proper consultation.

"It went out on its own, to try and force a change," he said.

Farmer Power had a working relationship with UDV president-elect Bernie Free for more than 12 months, but had no connections to DFV.

"We believe the UDV board now will have a chance to change things, and we want to give them clear air," he said.

"It's got a new structure and new policy councillors, all who seem to have the best interests of dairy farmers at heart.

"Farmer Power feels that the UDV has sorted out their internal issues.

"We believe with the new policy council team in place that there is a real chance to reunite dairy farmers, in a positive manner moving forward."

Farmer Power was an advocacy group and never established as an alternative to the UDV, he said.

"Everyone knows the success we have had," he said.

The biggest success Farmer Power achieved was the setting up of the mandatory Dairy Code of Conduct.

"Farmer Power gained direct input into government and into both major supermarkets Coles and Woolworths, which we also felt helped bring about that change," Mr Kerr.

United Dairyfarmers of Victoria president-elect Bernie Free, Winslow, said it meant one less advocacy group for the state.

"We need one, solid voice, for dairy in Victoria, and hopefully the UDV can become that strong, clear voice, with a vision of advocating for the best for dairy farmers," Mr Free said.

"It's good Farmer Power recognise my leadership - and the new policy council - will hopefully be able to put the dairy industry on the right footing and point it in the right direction."

He said he wanted the Victorian Famers Federation to sort out its relationship with all commodity groups.

"That's an ongoing situation that we need to get together and have a discussion about," he said.

Dairy Famers Victoria president Mark Billing, Colac, said the UDV and Farmer Power were "strange bedfellows, given the history of the two organisations.

"I just think it is probably a marriage of convenience than of philosophies," he said.

DFV had never approached Farmer Power, nor had Farmer Power approached the DFV, Mr Billing said.

"It's not that we didn't want to talk to them, its just that we have been busy advocating for farmers," he said.

"We hadn't heard from them for quite some time."

He said Farmer Power was initially set up in opposition to the UDV.

He felt DFV had better representation of farmers, given the restructure of the UDV.