A significant percentage of the Australian dairy workforce is from overseas, with about 13 per cent from non-English speaking countries.
Many of them are university educated and on permanent visas and are seeking to build their wealth in the Australian dairy industry.
Dairy Australia is collating data on this topic from recent surveys. It will be released in coming months.
In the meantime, interviews by Dairy News Australia indicate the international workforce includes people who have sought asylum in Australia because they are persecuted in their original country, and others who have fulfilled other people’s dreams.
Many of them are bringing significant skills into dairy farming, including engineering, machinery maintenance, carpentry and veterinarian qualifications and experience.
In a submission in late 2022 to the Federal Government’s Migration Review, Australian Dairy Farmers identified one in four dairy farms in Australia was unable to find labour or access the skills they need for their operations.
ADF recommended workforce visas in the dairy industry have a pathway to permanent residency, rather than be temporary and seasonal visas.
The ADF submission said family farms and corporate farms were reliant on migrant labour for growth.
The cost of a visa needed to reduce and be competitive with those in other countries competing to attract migrants, particularly Canada and the European Union.
ADF claimed young people in particular from overseas were keen to access the permanent visa status to build a future in Australia.
Dairy News Australia interviewed a number of people who are now working on Australian dairy farms because they received a permanent visa.
Veterinarians Herbert and Karen Apostol are managing a dairy farm at Glengarry in Victoria.
They arrived in Australia in 2012 on a permanent visa, after applying to Canada and Australia for work as dairy farmers.
Javi Almonacid, a political lawyer, is from Chile and has been working on dairy farms in Australia for the past 18 months.
“Initially I was milking, but for the past year I’ve been calf rearing,” she said.
Her partner, German musician Ferdinand Wiesemann, arrived in Australia three years ago to work.
The couple now works on the same farm at Fulham in Victoria.
“Our plan is to stay in Australia and build wealth through working in the dairy industry,” Ferdinand said.
Dominik Da Silva Ribas was a cabinet maker and carpenter in Germany before he moved to Australia.
“My wife Sarah’s grandmother travelled to Australia many times,” Dominik said.
Her influence and stories, and the welcome Dominik and his wife have received, have made them favour the country.
“We aim to settle down in Australia,” Dominik said.
He is working on a dairy farm at Fulham.
Lisa Reichert was a food technician in Germany and moved to Australia via New Zealand to work in the dairy industry.
She arrived in late September and is milking and calf-rearing on a dairy farm near Kilmany, in Victoria’s east.
“I was working in the dairy industry in New Zealand and Australia was on my bucket list,” Lisa said.
Robbie McKillop has a family background in dairy farming in New Zealand, where he was working as a machine operator.
He has been working on a dairy farm at Nambrok, Victoria, for the past 18 months.
Robbie has a partner and young family and hopes to own a dairy farm one day.
“Within five years, I’d like to be sharefarming,” he said.
Frenchman Numa Heritier also works on a dairy farm at Nambrok.
In France, Numa worked as a machinery maintenance technician.
He has been working for the past year as a general farm worker.
“I’ve fallen in love with my farm job and dairy farming,” Numa said.
Brothers Gurkan and Gurcan Tiryaki were both engineers in Turkey before moving to Australia to work in the dairy industry.
Gurcan arrived in Australia first, on a protection visa, five years ago. Gurkan followed him three years ago.
Both men work as general farm workers for Aurora Dairies (previously known as Warakirri Dairies).
“We receive better pay and work in better conditions in Australia,” Gurkan said.
The opportunities to build a career in the dairy industry are also being recognised by Australians.
Alex Simmons grew up in Sale, Victoria, and has spent the past three years working in the dairy industry.
He is currently studying for a Certificate IV in agriculture.
“My plan is to manage a dairy farm,” Alex said.
David Softley was a fisherman in Darwin before taking up the opportunity to work on a dairy farm in Gippsland.
“I completed a Certificate II in agriculture at school,” David said.
He was inspired from that qualification to work in agriculture. After finishing school, David worked in the commercial fishing industry.
He has been working in the dairy industry for nine years. For the past four-and-a-half years, he has been the senior farm hand on a dairy farm near Kilmany.
“My role is people management, training workers and herd management,” David said.
“I’ve always been good with animals and I enjoy working in the dairy industry.”