Agricultural co-operatives take centre stage at national forum

29 August 2016

Today marks the first day of a two day national forum bringing together the agricultural sector to provide providing farmers with knowledge and materials on co-operatives, collective bargaining and other forms of collaboration.

The BCCM is playing a central role at the forum with Melina Morrison, BCCM CEO hosting a roundtable workshop discussing how the recommendations in the recent Senate inquiry report into co-operative, mutuals and member-owned firms can help create a level playing field for the sector to ensure the sector can continue to grow and prosper.

The forum, being held in Kingscliff, NSW is part of the $14.9m Farm Co-operatives and Collaboration Pilot Program (FarmCCPP) which was launched by the Deputy Prime Minister The Hon Barnaby Joyce earlier this year.

Commenting at the launch of the forum, BCCM CEO Melina Morrison said “the FarmCCPP is an unprecedented program with potential to deliver long term improvements for farmers and the agriculture sector as a whole.”

“This forum in particular is an important step in closing the knowledge gap for producers who want to use the co-operative business model.”

“The FarmCCPP is in line with the BCCM’s aim of improving the environment for co-operatives to operate nationally and to increase the education and awareness of the co-operative sector in Australia”, added Ms Morrison.

The FarmCCPP is a national two year program and will provide expert advice and information for up to 2000 farmers and 100 farmer groups across the country. The program is being run by Southern Cross University with some assistance from the BCCM.