The farmers had threatened they would have to slaughter pregnant cows when their contracts with Brownes expired earlier this month and a two-week contract for a long-life milk producer expired last Sunday.
But two of the three farms involved will now survive for at least ten more days after the WA Farmers dairy section stepped in with $40,000 to cover the cost of transporting milk to the east coast for ten days, starting today.
The peak body is paying farmers Graham Manning and Tony Ferraro 30 cents a litre for the milk — to be sold under the WA Farmers First brand — and is forking out 50 cents a litre to transport 8000 litres a day, which will wholesale for 30c/litre.
A third farm which lost its Brownes contract has downsized. WA Farmers spokesman Michael Partridge called on Agriculture Minister Mark Lewis to cover the cost of transporting excess milk east so the State could ramp up efforts to create a bigger export market to South East Asia.
“There needs to be short term support for the individual so that there can be long term benefit for the State,” he said.
“It has cost tens of thousands so far, but emotionally, the impact is immeasureable. They are milking their fantastic cows and milk is flowing past their feet and into an effluent pond as they do it.
“I was at Manning’s farm and he was in tears, his staff were in tears and I was in tears.”
A further five contracts with Harvey Fresh expire in January.
Source: Yahoo
Link: https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/wa/a/32973024/milk-deal-a-reprieve-for-two-farmers/?cmp=st#page1