What Dairy Australia does

Dairy Australia Limited is the statutory national services body for the Australian dairy industry, established in 2003 and incorporated as an unlisted public company limited by guarantee under the Corporations Act 2001. It operates through a hybrid national-regional model: national specialist teams in Melbourne set strategy, research, sustainability, policy, international trade, and marketing direction, while eight Regional Development Programs (Gippsland, Murray, NSW, South Australia, Subtropical, Tasmania, Western Australia, Western Victoria) deliver on-ground extension and services to dairy farm businesses across the country. Its core services span farm business management (planning, budgeting, risk, Our Farm, Our Plan), people and workforce, animal health and genetics (via DataGene, DairyBio, DairyFeedbase), milking, feeding and farm systems, soils and water, climate and environment, consumer marketing, international trade support, and a comprehensive industry report suite (Situation & Outlook, Dairy Farm Monitor Project, In Focus).

The technology stack is built around a portfolio of digital tools and platforms — the Farm System Evaluator, Forage Value Index, Australian Dairy Carbon Calculator, Facial Eczema Spore Monitoring Program, Dairy Capability Guide framework, and the "You Ask, We Answer" consumer platform — combined with research infrastructure operated through joint ventures with Gardiner Foundation and Agriculture Victoria (DairyBio, DairyFeedbase Smartfarms at Ellinbank and Hamilton) and DataGene's genetic evaluation systems, which genomically tested over 90,000 calves in 2022-23. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and an executive leadership team led by CEO Dr Matthew Shaffer (appointed 2025), with oversight from peak industry bodies Australian Dairy Farmers and Australian Dairy Products Federation through the Australian Dairy Industry Council.

Dairy Australia's business model is mandate-funded rather than market-priced: it collects statutory dairy service levies from dairy farm businesses under the Primary Industries Levies and Charges Collection Act 2024 and receives Commonwealth Government matching payments for eligible R&D activities under a 10-year Statutory Funding Contract expiring 31 December 2034. Additional external funding is attracted through partnerships, particularly with Gardiner Foundation, Agriculture Victoria, state government departments, universities, and other RDCs. Services are not directly charged to farmers; instead, the organization invests levy funds collectively on behalf of the industry. Its customers are Australian dairy farm businesses (Group A levy-paying members), industry organizations (ADF, ADPF, RDPs), dairy manufacturers, and Australian consumers reached through marketing campaigns; revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Dairy Australia

Legal name

Dairy Australia Limited

Website

https://dairyaustralia.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Dairy Australia is the statutory national services body for the Australian dairy industry, funded by farmer levies and government matching. It delivers R&D, extension, sustainability, marketing, and trade services to dairy farmers, processors, and consumers across eight regional programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dairy Industry Services

NAICS

Dairy Cattle and Milk Production (112120), Dairy Cattle and Milk Production (11212)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Milking Parlor & Dairy Farm Support Services (Non-veterinary) (AFAEALAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pasture-Based & Grazing Dairy Systems (AFAEACAI), Dairy Feed & Forage Production (On-Farm) (AFAEACAK)

Keywords

• Dairy industry services
• Agricultural research extension
• Farm business support
• Dairy herd genetics
• Milk quality assurance

Headquarters

HQ city

Southbank

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Statutory Levy Funding: Dairy Australia receives statutory dairy service levy funds collected from dairy farmers through the Primary Industries Levies and Charges Collection Act 2024. The levy is paid by dairy farm businesses and forms the core funding for the organization's operations and services.
2. Government Matching Payments: Under the Statutory Funding Contract with the Commonwealth Government, Dairy Australia receives matching payments for eligible research, development and extension activities. The 10-year SFC expires on 31 December 2034.
3. External Funding and Grants: Core funding from levy and government matching allows attraction of additional external funding for key programs of work through partnerships and collaborative projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Dairy Australia is the national services body for the Australian dairy industry, delivering research, development, extension and marketing services funded by statutory dairy service levies and Commonwealth matching payments. It provides farm business and herd management tools, genetics and animal health programs, climate and environmental calculators, industry reporting, and consumer marketing campaigns to support dairy farmers, processors and the broader value chain across eight regional delivery areas.

Product overview

Dairy Australia operates as a national services body for the dairy industry, offering a comprehensive platform of services organized into distinct areas: Farm Business (business planning, budgeting, risk management), People in Dairy (employment resources, training, workforce development), Animals (genetics, fertility, health, welfare), Milking (milk quality, milking systems), Feeding & Farm Systems (crops, pastures, nutrition), Soils & Water (effluent management, irrigation), Climate & Environment (emissions, carbon calculator), and Industry Reports. The core offering consists of advisory services, educational resources, monitoring programs (such as Facial Eczema Spore Monitoring), planning tools (Our Farm, Our Plan), calculation tools (Australian Dairy Carbon Calculator), assessment frameworks (Dairy Capability Guide, Farm System Evaluator), and comprehensive industry research publications. The platform is organized regionally across eight Australian dairy regions with both national and local service delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Farm System Evaluator A cost-of-production and profitability analysis tool that allows dairy farmers to compare their farm business performance against industry benchmarks and identify improvement opportunities.
• Forage Value Index A cultivar ranking index that helps Australian dairy farmers select perennial ryegrass and other pasture cultivars based on economic value and on-farm performance data.
• Australian Dairy Carbon Calculator A greenhouse gas (CO2 equivalent) emissions calculator that enables dairy farmers to assess on-farm carbon footprint, identify reduction opportunities and report against sustainability frameworks.
• Facial Eczema Spore Monitoring Program A seasonal spore monitoring and early-warning service that supports farmers in protecting herds from facial eczema through pasture risk alerts.
• CowBytes Ration Formulation Tool A feed ration formulation tool that supports dairy farmers and nutritionists to formulate balanced dairy cow diets.
• DataGene Genetic Evaluation Service A national genetic evaluation system for the Australian dairy herd, providing breeding values and genomic evaluations through DataGene (a Dairy Australia partnership).
• DairyBase Farm Analysis Platform A farm business and physical performance benchmarking platform that analyses dairy farm profitability and production data, used by more than 50% of Australian milk production.
• Hay and Grain Reports Regular feed market price reporting across multiple Australian regions, providing dairy farmers with timely market intelligence for purchasing decisions.
• Situation & Outlook Report A quarterly industry publication analysing milk production, markets, farm inputs and outlook for the Australian dairy industry.
• Dairy Farm Monitor Project A participation-based farm benchmarking project that produces the annual Dairy Farm Monitor Report covering profitability and physical performance of participant farms across Australia.
• People in Dairy An industry resource platform providing HR, workforce and career resources for Australian dairy farmers, including the Dairy Capability Guide framework.
• Discover Dairy (Consumer Education Campaign) A consumer-facing education campaign designed to improve awareness and trust in Australian dairy, addressing misconceptions and promoting dairy's role in nutrition.
• Regional Development Programs (8 regions) Eight regional delivery programs that coordinate Dairy Australia's investments, extension services and farmer-facing activities across Australia's dairy regions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Increase earnings before interest and tax by 30 cents per kilogram of milk solids
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Gardiner FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term strategic partner funding research and development programs including DairyBio, DairyFeedbase, and farm business management initiatives like Our Farm, Our Plan. Gardiner Foundation is a major philanthropic investor in the Victorian dairy industry.
• Agriculture VictoriacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partner in DairyBio and DairyFeedbase initiatives. Provides research infrastructure including the Ellinbank and Hamilton Smartfarms for farm-based research. Supports delivery of genetic evaluation and forage research programs.
• DataGenecoreTechnology or IntegrationInitiative of Dairy Australia and the dairy industry focused on improving herd development through genetics and farm profitability through data-driven decision making. Delivers world-class genetic evaluation, software and decision-making tools.
• DairyBiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term joint initiative between Dairy Australia, Gardiner Foundation and Agriculture Victoria focused on innovative research into herd and forage genetics for improving animal health and farm profitability.
• DairyFeedbasecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term joint venture between Dairy Australia, Gardiner Foundation and Agriculture Victoria focused on improving feed management, animal health and farm profitability through farm-based research at Smartfarms.
• Australian Dairy Farmers (ADF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPeak industry body representing dairy farmers. Works with Dairy Australia through the Australian Dairy Industry Council (ADIC) to govern the Australian Dairy Industry Sustainability Framework. Dairy Australia's Managing Director participates in governance.
• Australian Dairy Products Federation (ADPF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPeak industry body representing dairy processors and traders. Co-governs the Australian Dairy Industry Sustainability Framework with ADF through ADIC.
• Australian GovernmentcoreOthersStatutory Funding Contract partner providing matching payments for eligible R&D activities under the Primary Industries Levies and Charges Collection Act 2024. The 10-year SFC expires 31 December 2034.
• State Government DepartmentsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with NSW, Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia state departments through Dairy Moving Forward initiative to enhance national collaboration and coordination of dairy research and development.
• Dairy Moving ForwardmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiative comprising Dairy Australia, Australian Dairy Farmers, Gardiner Foundation, and five state government departments that informs and guides industry research and development priorities through regular horizon scanning.
• NSW Department of Primary IndustriesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in DairyUP program focused on developing new markets, reducing risk, and increasing productivity and profitability. Collaboration includes University of Sydney and Scibus.
• University of SydneymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in DairyUP research and development program alongside NSW Department of Primary Industries and Scibus.
• Tasmanian Institute of AgriculturemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on feedbase and animal nutrition projects including extension programs and workforce development initiatives in Tasmania.
• Queensland Department of Agriculture and FisheriesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on feedbase and animal nutrition projects, particularly relevant to the Subtropical dairy region.
• Global Dairy PlatformmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational collaboration on human nutrition research and promoting the value of dairy foods. Dairy Australia's Managing Director serves as a governor of the Global Dairy Platform.
• Dairy Sustainability Framework (Global)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal framework for sustainability that collects data on progress against 11 identified elements. Dairy Australia is a member and reports on progress on behalf of the Australian dairy industry.
• Grains Research and Development CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on cross-sector research including the National Pasture Genebank and feedbase projects.
• Meat & Livestock AustraliaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on feedbase and animal nutrition projects including the National Pasture Genebank.
• Australian Wool InnovationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on cross-sector feedbase and animal nutrition research projects.
• AgriFutures AustraliaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on feedbase and animal nutrition projects including the National Pasture Genebank.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• DairyNZ: New Zealand's national dairy industry body, funded by farmer levies and delivering R&D, extension, and policy support. Closest international analog to Dairy Australia's statutory services model and mandate.
• Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA): Australian Rural Research and Development Corporation funded by statutory levies and government matching. Same funding architecture, governance model, and service-body mandate for the red meat industry.
• AHDB (Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board): UK statutory levy-funded body covering agriculture and horticulture, delivering R&D, knowledge exchange, and marketing. Closest UK analog to Dairy Australia's statutory services structure.
• Australian Wool Innovation (AWI): Australian RDC for wool, funded by grower levies and matching government payments. Operates R&D, marketing, and extension functions parallel to Dairy Australia's portfolio.
• Cotton Research and Development Corporation: Australian RDC for cotton, sharing the statutory levy and government matching funding model with Dairy Australia and operating a parallel R&D and extension mandate.
• AgriFutures Australia: Australian RDC for emerging and rural industries under the same statutory funding model. Peer in RDC governance, levy management, and government reporting obligations.
• Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC): Australian RDC for grains, sharing the statutory levy + government matching funding model and national R&D/extension delivery mandate. Direct structural peer in the Australian RDC system.
• Hort Innovation: Australian RDC for horticulture, operating under the same levy-matching funding structure as Dairy Australia and delivering R&D, extension, and marketing services to levy payers.

Regional players

• NZO (Nederlandse Zuivelorganisatie): Dutch dairy industry organisation representing processors on trade, sustainability, and policy. Comparable industry-body role for a national dairy sector, but operating in a different regulatory and market environment.

Broad incumbents

• Dairy Management Inc. (DMI): US national dairy checkoff organisation managing farmer-funded promotion, research, and nutrition programs. Comparable mandate in market development and research, though operating via a different checkoff funding mechanism.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Dairy_Australia
• Facebookfacebook.com/DairyAustralia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dairy Australia