The National Farmers' Federation (NFF) is the peak national body representing farmers and, more broadly, agriculture across Australia. It is one of Australia's foremost and respected advocacy organisations.
The NFF is dedicated to proactively generating greater understanding and better-informed awareness of farming's modern role, contribution and value to the entire community. One of the keys to the NFF's success has been its commitment to presenting innovative and forward-looking solutions to the issues affecting agriculture, striving to meet current and emerging challenges, and advancing Australia's vital agricultural production base.
NFF's members are the state-level farmers' organisations, national commodity councils, and other affiliated members. According to the NFF charter, state-level farmers' organisations represent the interests of the agricultural sector in their respective states while issues related to individual commodities or interstate/national farming concerns are represented by relevant national commodity councils. The NFF focuses on those policy issues that affect all farmers – regardless of location or commodity – including such issues as farm business and productivity, access to markets, natural resource management, biosecurity, animal health and welfare, education and training and workplace relations.
NFF Policy is set by the NFF Members’ Council, which comprises the Presidents of the NFF’s 26 Member organisations. The NFF members are:
- Australian Dairy Farmers
- Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council
- Australian Livestock and Property Agents Association
- Australian Pork Limited
- Australian Veterinary Association
- Beechworth Honey
- CANEGROWERS
- Corporate Agriculture Group
- Cotton Australia
- Cattle Council of Australia
- Goat Industry Council of Australia
- GrainCorp
- GrainGrowers
- Northern Territory Cattlemens’ Association
- Pastoralists’ Association of West Darling
- Ridley Corporation
- Ricegrowers’ Association of Australia
- Ruralco
- Sheapmeat Council of Australia
- Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association
- WAFarmers
- WoolProducers Australia
Jock Laurie, a grazier from Walcha in the New England region of NSW, was president of the organisation from late 2010 until April 2013, when he resigned to run for preselection for the NSW National party in the NSW seat of Northern Tablelands. At Laurie’s resignation, Duncan Fraser, former NFF Vice-President became President. Fraser will remain President until the next AGM, scheduled for November 2013.
The current CEO of the National Farmers' Federation is Matt Linnegar, replacing former CEO Ben Fargher who stepped down from the position in January 2011.
Read more about National Farmers' Federation: History, Key Policy Priorities, NFF Congress, Blueprint For Australian Agriculture, The Australian Farmers' Fighting Fund, See Also
Famous quotes containing the words national and/or federation:
“You cannot become thorough Americans if you think of yourselves in groups. America does not consist of groups. A man who thinks of himself as belonging to a particular national group in America has not yet become an American.”
—Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924)
“Women realize that we are living in an ungoverned world. At heart we are all pacifists. We should love to talk it over with the war-makers, but they would not understand. Words are so inadequate, and we realize that the hatred must kill itself; so we give our men gladly, unselfishly, proudly, patriotically, since the world chooses to settle its disputes in the old barbarous way.”
—General Federation Of Women’s Clubs (GFWC)