Still struggling with debt

Both Fonterra and Murray Goulburn suppliers were forced into debt by the companies after they claimed they overpaid suppliers for their milk in April, 2016.

For MG suppliers, this was in the form of a milk supply support package to repay the funds, which was ultimately wiped in May last year.

Katunga dairy farmer Bridget Goulding, a Bonlac supplier whose milk is processed by Fonterra, told a public forum with Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud that they were not so lucky and were still repaying their loans.

‘‘There is a lot of work to be done with the dairy side of things, especially when you have got suppliers out there such as myself that have a loan that I am still paying back and I will continue to be paying back for another 18 months, which is heartbreaking,’’ Ms Goulding said.

‘‘I can’t deal with the drought because I’m so busy dealing with what’s already happening in my business.’’

Long way to go . . . Applauding the acknowledgement there’s a lot more to do in the dairy industry, Katunga dairy farmer Bridget Goulding says she and many others are still dealing with the fallout of the 2016 milk price crash.