This comes as last week’s show had only 16 entries, understood to be the lowest in the history of the competition- and down from 50 last year.
It also follows the RASV decision to pull its sponsorship from International Dairy Week, at Tatura in January, choosing instead to focus on its own annual competition in Melbourne.
Exhibitors expressed disappointment with the lack of entries last week. There was a Jersey class with $1000 prize money that was not awarded because no Jerseys competed.
Bacchus Marsh breeder and Melbourne Show dairy committee member Neville Wilkie said his family’s historical tie with the event kept him competing but the number of entries was disappointing.
“Since they cut the mature milk (classes) out of the show it has been absolutely ruined,” he said.
Winner of the supreme champion heifer, Justin Johnston, from Bundalaguah near Sale, would like to see more entries and said he entered to support the industry’s youth.
RASV chief executive Paul Guerra said the Society wanted to “resurrect the dairy show” and hoped this year’s was just “a low water mark”.
“Like everybody we are disappointed with the number of dairy entries. Whether that is a reflection of the industry or competitors or a reflection on how we have run the competition in the past, they are all the things we need to look at after the show,” he said.
When asked if RASV might reintroduce the mature in-milk cow classes he said “everything is up for grabs”.
IDW event manager Robyn Barber said the IDW committee was disappointed the RASV had pulled sponsorship, but IDW was looking for another interbreed award sponsor.