Pay More For Milk, Save Sruggling Dairy Industry

[icyfroth]

Consumers avoiding discounted milk would help save farmers drowning in the latest price crisis, a Victorian dairy farmer says.

Marian McDonald and her husband run a medium-sized dairy farm in Gippsland, Victoria, and are grappling with the implications of a recent milk price slash.

Late last month Murray-Goulburn announced it would cut milk prices for suppliers by about 10 per cent. Fonterra followed suit shortly after.

But Ms McDonald said the support of consumers could help send a message to co-ops and supermarkets that farmers, many who are struggling to survive, deserved more.

She said buying a more expensive milk, even if it was just 20 cents more than a discounted brand, would help end the craze of supermarkets selling at prices unsustainable to farmers.

"One of two things that have really backed me is the support from consumers to pay extra for milk," she told the ABC, holding back tears.

"It's been the supermarkets' argument for so long that 'people are buying the $1 milk [and] if we can supply that and they are happy with that we will continue to do so'."

She said consumer support would also give farmers hope for the future.

"What [consumers would be] doing is sending the message to supermarkets that it is worthwhile putting a sustainable price on milk.

"As much as anything it just speaks to us that people really do value what we do, and they really care ... there is nothing like someone cheering from the sidelines for you," she said.

Ms McDonald said she did not blame consumers "looking for a bargain", but cheap milk could end the industry.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-05-17/how-consumers-can-help-farmers-during-the-milk-price-crisis/74...

So who are the fat cats lapping up all the profits from the Milk Industry?

[moonflyte]

These supermarket giants have a lot to answer for. They ruined the potato farmers and now they are doing it to our diary farmers.

[go-tazz]

It looks like they are having difficulty selling their own milk.

Have a read of this and see where the real problem is?:

http://www.news.com.au/finance/business/retail/any-support-is-better-than-no-support-dairy-farmer-de...

[*tippy*toes*]

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@go-tazz wrote:

It looks like they are having difficulty selling their own milk.

Have a read of this and see where the real problem is?:

http://www.news.com.au/finance/business/retail/any-support-is-better-than-no-support-dairy-farmer-de...

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There was a story in my local paper this week about the dairy issue. Since then, the shelves where the milk go are all but empty. The only milk is the discounted stuff. Trying to get brand name milk is very difficult at the moment.

My local supermarkets all stock a brand of milk from an independant local dairy. IGA said they would sell around 10 bottles a week. They have increased their supply because they're now selling 10 bottles an hour. They can't keep up with the demand.

I saw people this week stop at the dairy cabinet, then walk away because there was only discounted milk left. Some were still buying it because that's all that was there, and it's still come from somewhere, but plenty of others weren't.