VFF bombshell to fast-track reform of ag's 'outdated' advocacy framework

The National Farmers Federation members' council agreed last month to review evidence and data around the national advocacy framework and business model and continue to discuss "the way forward" in making changes where necessary to enhance farmer and producer representation.

It was the first time the issue had been on the agenda since the release of an Australian Farm Institute report in 2022 that found the current advocacy model was not sustainable for the long term.

The issue had already been moved to the next NFF members' council meeting, however, VFF president Emma Germano walking the organisation away from Cattle Australia, Goat Industry Council of Australia, Grain Producers Australia, the National Farmers Federation Horticulture Council, Sheep Producers Australia, Wool Producers Australia and Australian Dairy Farmers to save $700,000 will potentially lend it more urgency.

Ms Germano has been a vocal proponent for a shake-up of the current advocacy arrangement for several years.

Mr Sauer said while TasFarmers was adamant that retaining peak bodies and a federated advocacy model was "absolutely essential", it had a "serious issue" with increasing costs and "we have to find a better way of delivering those services".

"We are paying north of $170,000 out each year so the argument is not necessarily whether we are getting good value for money or not, the argument is we have to find a better way of doing it more cost effectively," he said.

"If we keep doing what we are doing at the moment we probably wont be here in 10 years because the cost of having all the peak bodies under the present structure will be too expensive.

"This is a national issue, as well as a state and commodity issue, and needs to be an Australia-wide process. We all want to find a pathway forward."

He said the ideal scenario would have been if the VFF had given the commodity groups 12 months notice to spark a rapid fire improvement, however it is not known if that is the case or determined on the expiry of each individual agreement.

Regardless, Mr Sauer believes "what that has done in essence is speed the process and debate up, which is probably a good thing".

National commodity leaders have privately expressed similar sentiments to ACM-Agri in the overhaul of the "outdated" model should now become a top priority.

Meanwhile, NSW Farmers chief executive Annabel Johnson confirmed last week that the organisation had put a peak national agricultural commodity group on notice for 12 months, saying it will withdraw its financial support if the organisation can't demonstrate better bang for buck.

She also said national representation had been a long-term issue.

"But you have to look at what outcomes need to be generated at the national level for our farmers' voices to be heard. It's something everyone works towards to be more effective so we are delivering more value to our members," she said.

The AFI report found that, while farmers needed strong and effective advocacy now more than ever, organic growth in the advocacy ecosystem across disparate regions and sectors had led to duplication of structures and replication of intent.

NFF chief executive Tony Mahar said the structure of agricultural organisations had been a topic of discussion for decades.

"It's a complex and intertwined system that we know isn't perfect. Some representative organisations are going along just fine - others face challenges from financial to structural from time to time," he said.

"The goal of any commitment and the ongoing discussions is to recognise what's working well and enhance that - but to also work constructively towards a system that engages as many producers as possible, representing them in a way that is effective, efficient and relevant to the issues at hand."