National lobby group Australian Dairy Farmers has announced an overhaul of its senior leadership as the industry battles the milk price crisis.

South Australian Dairyfarmers Association president David Basham will step aside from his state position and become the ADF’s acting president until November.

The current president, Simone Jolliffe, will resign her position and take on the newly-created deputy president role.

In a statement, ADF described the changes as a consolidation of its leadership team and in response to the industry crisis.

The announcement came hours after dairy farmers marched on capital cities in Victoria, South Australia and Queensland after dairy processors Murray Goulburn and Fonterra shocked the industry and announced retrospective price cuts for farmers.

Farmers say the so-called price step down has cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars and left their future in doubt.

They want industry reforms to prevent processors from retrospectively cutting prices.

The federal Coalition, which requires Labor’s endorsement given the government is in caretaker mode during the election, has announced a Commonwealth support package for dairy farmers.

Ms Jolliffe, who farms near Wagga Wagga in New South Wales, joined the ADF board in January 2014 and assumed the presidency after an election in November last year.

She replaced Victorian Noel Campbell, a Gippsland dairy farmer in the state’s east.

Mr Basham, along with his leadership of the SA dairy industry, is an ADF director.

Source – ABC Net