Gerard(52)

Our family had farmed in Friesland for four generations. But the reality of Dutch agriculture in 2023 was grim: nitrogen regulations forcing us to halve the herd, land prices at EUR 100,000 per hectare, and a government that saw farmers as part of the problem rather than the solution. When I heard Tasmanian dairy companies were actively recruiting Dutch farmers, I knew it was time.

The agriculture sector in Australia has a separate visa pathway. Through the Subclass 494 (Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional) I could move to Tasmania — a regional visa that leads to permanent residency after three years. The skills assessment went through VETASSESS. With my agricultural education and thirty years of experience, the assessment was a formality.

My new employer is a large dairy operation in the Derwent Valley, north of Hobart. They have 3,000 cows — three times what I had in Friesland. The land is green, rainfall is reliable and there's space. My role: herd manager, responsible for herd health and productivity. Salary: AUD 95,000 plus a farmhouse on the property.

The Australian dairy industry differs from the Dutch one. Less intensive, more pasture-based (cows are outside year-round here), and milk prices are more stable thanks to long-term contracts with large dairy cooperatives. Technology is modern — robotic milking, GPS-managed grazing — but the scale is larger and environmental pressure lower.

My wife and two teenage children came along. The kids go to school in Hobart and are adapting quickly. My son is considering studying agricultural science at the University of Tasmania — free for PR holders through HECS-HELP. That's the best part: my children have a future in agriculture here without the stress and political pressure we had in the Netherlands.

Tasmania feels like Friesland fifty years ago — vast landscapes, honest people, a strong agricultural community. The difference is that the government here supports agriculture rather than working against it. My advice to Dutch farmers: look at Australia. The dairy sector is looking for experienced people, visa options exist and life here is what farmers deserve.