As northern NSW dairy farmers are invited to switch supply to Murray Goulburn, what’s in store for those dairy farmers further south?
Steve Guthrey is a dairy farmer in the Bega Valley in south-east NSW and a committee member with NSW lobby group Dairy Connect.
He says while it’s good to see increased competition in the NSW dairy industry, something needs to be done to ensure any benefits are felt across the state.
«You have to look at every player in the market.
«Murray Goulbourn is a new player in the NSW market,» he said.
«They’re going to want certain suppliers; they probably want people who can supply large quantities of milk, the bigger players in the market place.
«So we have to be very careful that we don’t have winners and losers in this deal and that it benefits the whole of the NSW dairy industry not just a few.
«I think dairy farmers need to form collective bargaining groups so that they can negotiate with companies like Murray Goulbourn, Lion, Pamalat, Norco; all of these companies that are players in NSW.
«Maybe Bega farmers need to look at supplying milk into other parts of NSW, I don’t know.
«We just have to make sure that we maintain a viable dairy industry in Bega and I think that’s the way they can ensure that every member in that group gets to supply their milk to the best available price.»
Source: ABC
