News & Events

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Industry Value

Agriculture and associated value adding processing industries are the key drivers of the regional economy and dairy is the biggest player.

In 2006-07, 2300 dairy farms produced 2.2 billion litres, or 22.5% of national milk production. The estimated value of production at the farm gate was $714 million.

In Victoria’s Northern Irrigation region, dairy contributes 50% of the farm gate value of agriculture. The value adding processing industries in the region add a further $3 billion to the economy, of which dairy contributes 55%.

On the north side of the Murray, the dairy industry contributes $65 million, at the farm gate, to an agricultural industry worth $300 million per year.

With such a large industry, business opportunities both within and outside the farm gate abound. The industry also has sufficient critical mass to support a large service industry which allows for easy access to the key services required for the operation of dairy farms.

Dairy is a key driver of the job market. There are 18 dairy factories in the region and together, farm and processing, employ 7,345 people (or about 10% of the total jobs market) directly and another 12,000 (a further 15%) indirectly in service industries.