Remember that Coles managing director John Durkan (AKA «the Reptile») has used its finding that the supermarket giant’s chin-leading $1 milk has helped farmers because it’s encouraged more milk to be sold – which is like arguing that 9/11 was good for firefighters. Wesfarmers chief executive Richard Goyder must be marvelling at the logic.
In response to its pummelling by farmer groups, Dairy Australia is preparing to release an addendum clarifying its position on private label milk (the only dairy item in punters’ trolleys to have gone backwards in real price since Miley Cyrus was last bottle fed) but is wrestling with how to reach findings that’ll appease all of its stakeholders – including Murray Goulburn which, after the Reptile dragged in Phil «Stability» Tracy for a quiet chat, pushed for the original analysis in the first place.
Meanwhile, MG’s competitors have received cease and desist letters in recent days warning them that David Mallinson and Fiona Smith will take «very seriously» any breach of fixed-term contracts committed by MG farmers jumping ship to other processors. You’d only send that letter if your milk supply was in free fall.