MMM: Below is the first paragraph of an article by Professor Tim Mazzarol that appeared in The Conversation this week and, while it’s a long read, it puts everything facing Australian dairy beautifully into perspective.

If you feel as strongly about this as I do, please contact the office of Treasurer Joe Hockey on 02 6277 7340 and ask to speak to an advisor, as well as your local MPs and even Barnaby Joyce on 02 6277 7520 (who has no direct authority in this matter but does have a cabinet voice). The pollies need to know what farmers think so that they can give us a fair go.

Cooperation versus investor returns – the future of dairy farming in Australia

By Tim Mazzarol, University of Western Australia

The battle is heating up between Australia’s Murray Goulburn Co-operative, Bega Cheese Ltd and Canada’s Saputo Inc. over the acquisition of Warrnambool Cheese and Butter Factory Ltd (WCB). Much of the discussion around who will end up buying WCB has focused on share price and investor returns, but there are much deeper issues at stake. These relate to the tensions between long term collective ownership of dairy supply chains by Australian farmers and the short term gains of shareholders. How this battle unfolds may decide the future of farmer control over Australia’s dairy industry.

Read the full article at The Conversation.