IT CAN be hard to know what is the right way to go about supporting Queensland’s dairy farmers.
Queensland Dairyfarmers’ Organisation is urging all consumers to buy branded milk when stepping into their local supermarket to ensure local farmers are receiving a fair price.
What milk should I buy to support farmers?
Please buy branded milk. This means milk sold under a processor brand such as Dairy Farmers, Norco, Pauls and not a major retailer.
Branded milk ensures reasonable farm gate prices paid to local dairy farmers.
How does buying branded milk support Queensland dairy farmers?
Buying fresh branded milk gives a fair price back to Queensland dairy farmers.
The extra dollars you spend on branded milk is invested into quality improvements of milk products.
What impact has the $1 per litre milk price had on the Queensland dairy industry?
Branded milk ensures reasonable farm gate prices paid to local dairy farmers.
Since the start of $1 per litre milk in 2011 more than $200 million dollars a year has been stripped from our dairy supply chain and the already small margins for dairy farmers were slashed.
All major retailers have used their size to drive down the value of milk forcing 170 Queensland dairy farmers to leave the industry and 580 farm jobs to be lost.
Queensland milk production of 405 million litres is now 180 million litres below Queensland demand. When $1 per litre milk started Queensland milk production met demand.
Which brands should I buy if I want to ‘buy branded’ and support Queensland dairy farmers?
All these independent brands support Queensland dairy farmers: Pauls, Dairy Farmers, Norco, Maleny Dairies, Mungalli, Scenic Rim 4Real Milk, Cooloola Milk, Barambah Organics, a2 Milk.
Store brands do not give a fair price back to Queensland dairy farmers.
FACT: Brands like Farmers Own Milk are actually owned by major retailers and not farmers.
FACT: Major retailers maximise shelf space and advertising for their store branded milk, limiting product choice for consumers.