Latest news with #Danzi
Perth Now
5 days ago
- Business
- Perth Now
Aussies warned of milk shortage
Australians may soon be paying more for a litre of milk at the shops, as dairy farmers look to rebuild following the devastating floods which have swept across northern NSW. The dairy industry has warned entire herds of cattle have been lost in the floods as well as fences, machinery and other infrastructure required to keep a farm operational, which could have an impact on prices. Livestock were washed away as the Manning River rose to record levels, while farmers on the Belmore River described the conditions as diabolic. Australians may see milk shortages when they go to the local supermarket. NewsWire Credit: News Corp Australia EastAusmilk chief executive Eric Danzi warned the first time many Australians see the devastation of the floods would be when they go to their local supermarket. 'There is going to be a real shortage of milk and products,' he told 2GB. 'How that plays through to consumers I don't know.' 'Between the floods now, ex- Cyclone Alfred and the drought in South Australia as well as Victoria you're going to have a massive reduction in milk production across Australia.' Mr Danzi said the widespread carnage means many farmers are coming home to empty land with their livestock swept into the ocean. 'Most farmers on the mid north coast have been absolutely devastated by floods. There's 100 odd farmers in that area and I think half of them will be struggling with losses of half a million (dollars) if not a lot more,' Mr Danzi said. The same producers impacted by the recent floods were also hit by ex-cyclone Alfred in March, which caused considerable damage to Australian farms in northern NSW. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited Taree on Tuesday. Dean Lewins/POOL/NewsWire Credit: News Corp Australia The PM toured decimated farms. Dean Lewins/POOL/NewsWire Credit: News Corp Australia Mr Albanese (centre) is joined by Minister for Emergency Management Kristy McBain (left) meeting with dairy farmer Milton Johnson (right) on his property. Dean Lewins/POOL/ NewsWire Credit: News Corp Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited the mid-north coast on Tuesday, as authorities revealed the downpour had left more than 5,000 properties damaged and 794 uninhabitable. Mr Albanese said the mid-north coast floods would have a considerable effect on the dairy industry 'right throughout Australia,' in addition to the impact on homes and residents. 'It is a point that while there are people who are directly affected here, every Australian is affected as well, by the fact that we've had a loss of dairy industries that will have an impact right throughout Australia,' he said. NSW Farmers president Xavier Martin urged farmers to not 'fight floods alone' with support available to help them get back on their feet. 'We know farmers did everything they could to prepare for this disaster, but the reality is these floods have left colossal damage and devastation in their wake,' Mr Martin said. 'Dreadful connectivity has made it very difficult for many to stay in touch, but there is real help available and please don't hesitate to reach out for support when you can. Mr Martin said the NSW Agriculture and Animal Services Hotline was up and running to provide emergency assistance with livestock and animals, and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, as well as Local Land Services, are sharing what support is available via their social media channels. 'Local Evacuation Centres are also open to provide emergency accommodation, food and social support, and Recovery Centres have opened today as a one-stop shop for all flood resources and assistance in this time.' At the peak of the flood, 50,000 people were isolated from their homes. As of Tuesday more than 10,000 Australians remain cut off. A further five Australians have so far been reported to have died during the floods. The Prime Minister announced on Monday Australian Defence Force personnel had been called in to help with the clean up effort. Mr Martin said mental health services were readily available to help farmers in need. 'Lifeline is on 13 11 14 for crisis support any time, and we have a whole host of other mental health services on the NSW Farmers website that are here to help at this time,' he said. 'While many are only just beginning to assess the full extent of the damage, we know communities will need all the help we can get to recover from this – so stay safe, look out for each other, and together, we'll get through this.'
West Australian
5 days ago
- Business
- West Australian
‘Massive reduction across Australia': Farmers devastated by floods and drought as milk shortage looms
Australians may soon be paying more for a litre of milk at the shops, as dairy farmers look to rebuild following the devastating floods which have swept across northern NSW. The dairy industry has warned entire herds of cattle have been lost in the floods as well as fences, machinery and other infrastructure required to keep a farm operational, which could have an impact on prices. Livestock were washed away as the Manning River rose to record levels, while farmers on the Belmore River described the conditions as diabolic. EastAusmilk chief executive Eric Danzi warned the first time many Australians see the devastation of the floods would be when they go to their local supermarket. 'There is going to be a real shortage of milk and products,' he told 2GB. 'How that plays through to consumers I don't know.' 'Between the floods now, ex- Cyclone Alfred and the drought in South Australia as well as Victoria you're going to have a massive reduction in milk production across Australia.' Mr Danzi said the widespread carnage means many farmers are coming home to empty land with their livestock swept into the ocean. 'Most farmers on the mid north coast have been absolutely devastated by floods. There's 100 odd farmers in that area and I think half of them will be struggling with losses of half a million (dollars) if not a lot more,' Mr Danzi said. The same producers impacted by the recent floods were also hit by ex-cyclone Alfred in March, which caused considerable damage to Australian farms in northern NSW. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited the mid-north coast on Tuesday, as authorities revealed the downpour had left more than 5,000 properties damaged and 794 uninhabitable. Mr Albanese said the mid-north coast floods would have a considerable effect on the dairy industry 'right throughout Australia,' in addition to the impact on homes and residents. 'It is a point that while there are people who are directly affected here, every Australian is affected as well, by the fact that we've had a loss of dairy industries that will have an impact right throughout Australia,' he said. NSW Farmers president Xavier Martin urged farmers to not 'fight floods alone' with support available to help them get back on their feet. 'We know farmers did everything they could to prepare for this disaster, but the reality is these floods have left colossal damage and devastation in their wake,' Mr Martin said. 'Dreadful connectivity has made it very difficult for many to stay in touch, but there is real help available and please don't hesitate to reach out for support when you can. Mr Martin said the NSW Agriculture and Animal Services Hotline was up and running to provide emergency assistance with livestock and animals, and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, as well as Local Land Services, are sharing what support is available via their social media channels. 'Local Evacuation Centres are also open to provide emergency accommodation, food and social support, and Recovery Centres have opened today as a one-stop shop for all flood resources and assistance in this time.' At the peak of the flood, 50,000 people were isolated from their homes. As of Tuesday more than 10,000 Australians remain cut off. A further five Australians have so far been reported to have died during the floods. The Prime Minister announced on Monday Australian Defence Force personnel had been called in to help with the clean up effort. Mr Martin said mental health services were readily available to help farmers in need. 'Lifeline is on 13 11 14 for crisis support any time, and we have a whole host of other mental health services on the NSW Farmers website that are here to help at this time,' he said. 'While many are only just beginning to assess the full extent of the damage, we know communities will need all the help we can get to recover from this – so stay safe, look out for each other, and together, we'll get through this.'
The National
01-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
World turning away from awareness of global aid crises, official says
The world is turning away from awareness of global humanitarian crises, a senior Swiss development official told The National in an exclusive interview. Patricia Danzi, director general of the Swiss Agency for Development and Co-operation, said a feeling of helplessness, polarised conflicts and the all-pervading nature of social media could be among the reasons for this. In a sit-down interview in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, Ms Danzi said in the 1980s everyone across the world knew of the situation in Africa but today the picture was much more complex. 'The world is turning away,' she said. 'You had concerts 30 years ago when there was a famine in Ethiopia: the actors were mobilising, the whole world was mobilised. Every child in school knew that there was a problem there,' said Ms Danzi, referring to the Live Aid concerts that brought attention to the famine in Africa. 'I think this currently is not happening.' Ms Danzi said it is hard to pinpoint exactly why this has happened but looked at social media as a key driver, noting how many do not wish to discuss conflict zones due to the polarised nature of the discourse. 'Maybe because they feel helpless,' she said. 'I can't change it, so the best thing is not to expose myself to it.' Ms Danzi said many countries were also focused on defence budgets, rather than preventing war and finding consensus in the UN was 'very difficult'. Ms Danzi is an aid and development veteran, having worked for the International Committee of the Red Cross for several decades before being appointed as director general of the Swiss agency in 2020. The agency, with a budget of about $12 billion from 2025 to 2028, is responsible for overall co-ordination of the country's international development activities as well as humanitarian aid and works across the world from Africa to Asia. Ms Danzi was in the UAE on the final leg of a regional tour to hold talks with aid officials. She noted the country's 'growing role' in global aid efforts and said it was important to talk to all agencies in the region to bolster development efforts in a changing world. She also attended the Dubai International Humanitarian Aid and Development conference where Switzerland was the guest of honour. The three-day event ends on Thursday and, this year, seeks to tackle the challenges of humanitarian aid in a polarised world. More than 16,000 participants from 154 countries came for last year's edition. The event is timely with conflicts raging around the world from Ukraine to Gaza with vulnerable citizens suffering the most. Ms Danzi said her agency had to close their office in Gaza but had a presence in Ramallah and the situation there was 'very difficult'. It is Ukraine that is the biggest focus for the Swiss agency. 'The need is very high to keep a country at war still on the level they can still manage basic services,' she said. 'In the eastern part, mainly humanitarian aid is still a big part of what is needed.' She said the country was very clear about what was needed – particularly to keep a focus on development aid as well as emergency relief – and this long-term planning was crucial but often the first thing to be cut from aid budgets. 'If you see a disaster just down the road or on TV, it's, 'OK, I'm giving this … to save lives' because humanitarian aid is to save lives and who doesn't want to do this,' Ms Danzi said. 'However, it's more long term. How can you improve governance? How can you improve or actually empower local actors? How can you empower local governments? This takes time.' Born in Switzerland, Ms Danzi is the daughter of a teacher and a Nigerian diplomat. She spent time teaching in South Africa after Nelson Mandela was elected and represented Switzerland at the 1996 summer Olympics, participating in the heptathlon. She also speaks seven languages. 'I think sport gives you the focus,' she said, of her time as an elite athlete. 'You cannot always win. Sometimes you have a problem, but you can still keep trying.' Ms Danzi has spent her career dedicated to helping those most vulnerable and her family's history has also influenced her. Her grandfather died in the Nigerian war in the late 1960s that is also known as the Biafra conflict. 'When I told them [my Nigerian family] I'm going to work in the Red Cross, they said: 'Why do you want to go to war?' You don't know what that means. So I told them, 'so tell me what it means',' she said. 'The stories that came up were quite impressive. That definitely had an influence on me.' Despite the often grim global picture, Ms Danzi remains hopeful about what can be achieved. She said international rules and human rights law had been created and the world needed to keep its focus on this compass.
