Farm lobby group WA Farmers is footing the bill for the stop-gap measure from sales of its industry-branded milk, with an estimated 80,000 litres due to be shipped over 10 days, and the farmers being paid 30 cents per litre.
The milk will be processed into long-life products by national dairy company Parmalat, which also produces the industry-branded milk.
WA Farmers dairy section president Michael Partridge said being left with no option other than to pour milk down effluent drains had taken a toll on the farmers.
«It hasn’t left them in the greatest head space,» Mr Partridge said.
«At least this way, their hard work and the product of their cows does not go to waste.»
Nine WA dairy farmers have been told their contracts will not be renewed this year by processors Brownes and Harvey Fresh.
Western Australia’s new Agriculture Minster Mark Lewis described the farmers’ plight as an «unfortunate situation» but stopped short of calling it a crisis.
«At the end of the day, it is a contract issue and the rest of the industry is in quite good shape,» Mr Lewis said.
«I think talking about a crisis is not going to be useful for the industry, because it’s not a broad crisis.»
Mr Partridge said the Minister was taking a narrow view of a state-wide issue with wide-ranging implications.
«These guys [dumped farmers] are taking the full brunt of the industry issue, yet the Government is persisting on calling it a contract issue,» Mr Partridge said.
«The Government needs to look at the big picture here and see what is good for the industry going forward.
«Losing dairy farmers like this is not a good start.»
Source: ABC
Link: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-24/milk-heading-east-as-stop-gap-measure/7960274
