Murray Dairy chair and Blighty dairy farmer Rachael Napier said the Edward River Council local government area of the Murray Dairy region alone is home to some world class dairy farming facilities.
They produce about 130 million litres of milk each year, with a combined farm gate value of about $91 million, and represent just about every different farming system - from grazing to partially housed cows.
“There are 15 dairy farms in the Edward River LGA, milking around 20,000 cows. And they are all family owned,” she said.
“Cumulatively, we employ about 200 people, with an estimated wage spend of $16 million which goes into the local economy.
“Most of Australia looks to this (Murray) region when it comes to adapting to change and the complexities of evolving farming systems.
“Whatever happens here tends to follow on roughly 15 years later in other regions.
“We are often host to farming groups and individuals keen to see how we have adapted to everything from climate change to feed systems.
“The Southern Riverina is a great place to dairy.”
Ms Napier said the latest figures show the Southern Riverina’s milk production grew by 60 million litres compared to last year’s figures.
And she says there are several reasons for this.
“It's a great place to farm, farms are laser levelled and we water efficiently. All run off is captured and recycled on farm.
“We are surrounded by cropping neighbours, which provides us with access to local quality feed.
“In a drought year, or if a crop is compromised, we can purchase crops which would otherwise have been deemed dismal from our cropping neighbours, creating a win:win scenario.
“Protein and alternative feed sources are never too far away - cotton seed, canola meal, citrus pulp and grain, are all available either at our back door or within 200km.
“And transport has easy access via highways and a huge logistics centre at Strathmerton.”
Ms Napier said the success and future success of the industry is also evidenced in the multi-generational farming operations, and employment opportunities available.
“Expanding family farms are either succession planning with family, or have sourced skilled staff to micro manage the dynamics of the farm.
“This may include taking a feed manager, dairy manager, calf rearing manager, reproduction manager, HR manager, maintenance, irrigation ... the list is long.
“Dairy underpins so much more than what appears obvious on the surface.
“The fact that we farm 365 days of the year alone means steady employment, opportunities for personal and professional growth for staff, and spending money locally every month - not just at harvest time.”
Ms Napier said the region’s dairy industry has evolved into something unique, thanks to the input of farmers from multiple cultures over many decades.
“Farmers were brought here to the Southern Riverina from other places, including Europe, to produce food in this region,” she said.
“They all moved here, and they all had to adapt to something new.
“This mentality has remained a strong pillar of success for the region, so adaptation and a positive can do attitude are a winning combination.”
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