The interim short-term deal which gave the farmers some breathing space after their contract with Brownes was terminated on September 30, is not a permanent solution and leaves them considering their options.
Harvey’s Graham Manning, a fifth generation farmer, said he still hoped for a viable solution to continue dairy farming but “D-Day was on the horizon” since he was told his contract with Brownes would not be renewed six months ago.
“My family has been farming here for 155 years,” Mr Manning said.
“In the past 14 years the quality of our milk ranked in the top 5 per cent in Australia.
“I have to accept the situation as it is, and my priority now is to look after our cows and our employees.”
The farmers find themselves between a rock and a hard place because they have to continue milking but cannot dump the surplus milk because of environmental regulations.
“This week we will be drying off about 100 of our 330 cows so by Friday, when the two-week deal finishes, we will have a smaller herd and hope other farmers will buy our animals unless another solution can be found,” Mr Manning said.
“We will still continue farming but will have to move to beef farming.”
WA Farmers dairy section president Michael Partridge is continuing to work on a longer term solution which involves export of the milk.
“This would be a long-term benefit and move the industry forward,” he said.
Source: Yahoo
Link: https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/regional/south-west/a/32865788/d-day-nears-for-south-west-dairy-farmers/#page1
