GIPPSLAND farmer and reality TV star Adam Nelson has revealed his heartache after he was forced to shut down his beloved dairy as the Aussie milk crisis deepens.
The 26-year-old, who appeared as a contestant on the latest season of Channel Nine’s The Farmer Wants a Wife, has pleaded for other farmers to seek help.
“As farmers we have a responsibility and laws in place for the protection and welfare of our animals, but where are the same regulations for human beings?’’ Nelson said.
“This is going to tear families apart. The repercussions of this have nothing to do with dairy farming at all.’’
Farmers across the state were blindsided after the nation’s two largest processors, Murray Goulburn and Fonterra, slashed the price it pays suppliers at the farm gate.
Nelson has urged the two processors to keep payment contracts in place until the end of the financial year to give farmers some peace of mind. He also urged consumers to boycott cheap milk options at Coles and Woolworths.
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The young farmer said he was devastated that his farm in Drouin South, slowly built up over a decade, had been ripped from under him.
He had 80 head of cattle removed from the property at the weekend to avoid escalating costs. Yesterday he used social media to send a message of support to other farmers in the same position.
“To those farmers, farmers’ wives and farming families, never be afraid to reach out for a helping hand,’’ Nelson wrote.
Beyondblue chairman Jeff Kennett, who addressed the Dairy Industry Association of Australia last week, said the mental and emotional wellbeing of our farmers should be a priority.
He said it was disappointing that in an election campaign, the unfolding crisis had barely rated a mention.
“This is a commercial failing with huge financial ramifications,” Mr Kennett said.
Source: Weekly Times
