Supermarkets could save dairy industry
AS DAIRY farmers continue to battle for their livelihoods, Scott Priebbenow, said supermarkets could be their heroes if they paid them more for their milk.
In July, Coles, Woolworths and Aldi increased their own brand milk prices by another 10c, upping it to $1.20/L.
This followed a previous 10c price rise made in January, but farmers won’t see the extra profit.
Mr Priebbenow milks 160 cows at his Greenmount farm, supplying milk to Norco, which supplies Coles.
He said he hadn’t been able to grow a crop for the past 18 months and, with feed running out, his next choice was to start selling his cattle.
With many other dairy farmers across Queensland facing the same situation, Mr Priebbenow said dairy farmers needed to be paid more for their milk just to cover costs of production.
“Supermarkets could be racing in on their white horse to save everyone, but they won’t,” Mr Priebbenow said.
“There are so many people and animals involved that are either going to lose their jobs or lose their heads.
“If we don’t get more money, we can’t buy the feed and we’re all going to lose our jobs.
“Why is it always us against the supermarkets?
“Why can’t they be part of the solution not the problem?”
With a dairy farmer leaving the industry approximately every five to seven days due to the behaviour of the supermarpassed kets, according to the Queensland DairyFarmers Organisation, LNP Shadow Minister for Agriculture Tony Perrett said enough was enough.
“Clearly, supermarket giants are milking the system in asking more for milk at the checkout but continuing to and squeeze our dairy farmers by refusing to pass on extra revenue,” Mr Perrett said.
“The additional 10c a litre price increase last month has been estimated to will deliver an extra $100 million straight into the supermarket profits while giving nothing to farmers.
“It’s time for these supermarket big wigs to come out from behind their glossy spin doctors and start paying our farmers properly for their milk.
“I recently visited and talked with dairy farmers on the Darling Downs who were doing it extremely tough due to drought.
“The increased cost of feed, due to drought, had pushed milk production prices well beyond what they’re getting paid.
“The time for action is now. If we want to save our Queensland dairy industry, I’m calling on the supermarkets to come clean and pass on the extra money.
“Time for supermarkets to start paying farmers for what for what milk is worth.”
Woolworths and Aldi Australia both told Rural Weekly that recent increases in their own brand fresh milk prices were the direct result of increased farmgate milk prices.
“Since February we have seen farmgate prices — which are negotiated between farmers and processors, and then
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on to retailers — increase significantly and they’re forecast to continue rising throughout the year,” a Woolworths spokesman said.
“As a result of these farmgate price movements, we have been paying our milk processors even more for milk and other dairy products across the category over recent months.
“Due to these ongoing whole-of-market cost pressures, we have reviewed and adjusted the price of Woolworths Milk last month.”
An Aldi Australia spokesman told Rural Weekly they would “continue to maintain the collection and distribution of the 10 cents per litre implemented earlier this year” and ensure that the proceeds were passed onto dairy farmers in full.
“We do not take price increases lightly however these movements are necessary for building a long-term, sustainable Australian dairy industry,” the spokesman said.
Rural Weekly contacted Coles but they didn’t respond by deadline.
Mr Priebbenow said many consumers had expressed their support, saying they would be willing to pay more for their milk to help the industry.
“The price has simply got to go up across the board, even butter, cheese and yoghurt,” he said.
“It might even make them money if they put it up 60c, gave us 30c, and kept 30c for themselves.
“And the customers want to do it.”
The Priebbenow family has been on the Greenmount farm for 59 years.
“I don’t want to give in yet, so I’m giving it all I’ve got,” Mr Priebbenow said.
“My parents will be devastated if, after 60 years of working, they have to walk away.
“You have to fight this, it’s too easy of a fix.”
Mr Priebbenow put forward a challenge to the major supermarkets, saying that if just one of them came forward to help farmers it would make a major change.
“Out of Coles, Woolies and Aldi, if one of them can demonstrate that they’re genuinely trying to help farmers, so many people will flock to them,” he said.
“We’re Australian and mates help mates. Why can’t they be a mate?”