Dairy heavyweight Fonterra has confirmed there are problems with deliveries of its Anchor and Mainland products to Waikato bakeries and other food makers after implementation of a new software system.
Fonterra Brands managing director Peter McClure said there had been «outages» of milk, cheese and butter supplies but the company was catching up.
Four days into the new software ordering system, fresh milk orders were now up to date, he said.
That’s not good enough for Hamilton baker John Bary, co-owner of Beaut Pies, who has not been able to get his usual supply of Anchor tasty cheese through his milkman.
Mr McClure said Fonterra customers were fully informed of the delay situation.
But Mr Bary said he had received «no advice whatsoever» from the company, and his milk deliverer seemed to be in the dark too.
«We were just told nothing was available, and we would have to go hunting for ourselves.
«We are not very big but we have customers with expectations and we try to do the best by them.»
He was resigned to getting no cheese deliveries this week.
Fonterra controls about 90 per cent of New Zealand’s raw milk and supplies its only real consumer product competition in this country, Goodman Fielder.
«There’s too much control coming from one area,» Mr Bary said. «This affects our livelihood.»
Other food suppliers contacted by the Waikato Times said they were aware of the problem.
Mr McClure said the problem was across all Fonterra Brands food categories and across the country.
Source:Stuff