Around 50 farmers attended a public meeting in Winton last week organised by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to discuss the Government review of the Dairy Industry Restructuring Act 2001 (DIRA) and its impact on the dairy industry.
Emma Hammond, the Eastern Southland representative on the Fonterra Shareholders' Council said the high turnout was a sign farmers were keen to be part of the discussion on any proposed changes.
''According to MPI representatives at the meeting, the numbers at the Winton meeting were the highest for any of the public events,'' Hammond said.
She said there were no particularly dominant issues raised by the farmers but that most felt comfortable that it was time for a review and an update of the legislation.
''There was some discussion about the perceived dominance of Fonterra within the New Zealand industry,'' she said.