It’s unfortunate to see the latest instalment of corporate spin with the announcement of the Coles – Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) milk. On the surface 20 cents a litre going into a farmers’ fund sounds like a positive step.
The Victorian Coles contract is about 100 million litres with widespread reports that Coles are paying 15 cents per litre less than they were two years ago. This deal budgets for sales of 7.5 million litres to raise $1.5 million plus another $1 million from Coles.
When you begin to peel away the layers of ‘PR spin’ you see that Coles will pay out about $2.5 million this year and $1.5 million per year thereafter with one hand while receiving $15 million with the other from their cheaper milk contracts.
Perhaps the 5000 dairy farmers in south eastern Australia who are eligible for the $20,000 grants should all apply and see how well $100 million divides into $2.5 million. The real question is how many that region’s financially struggling farmers will looking for grants to fund new projects in a low milk price year.
Murray Goulburn chairman Phil Tracey has publicly stated that $1 milk is good for farmers. When he says “good for farmers”, I can only assume he believes it is good for MG farmers and not the industry as a whole.
Perhaps saddest for southern dairies battling with the scourge of low prices is that even though the domestic market should be helping, it can’t because of the unnecessary devaluation of milk for selfish corporate motives.
QDO will never do a deal with Coles that did nothing to increase the farm gate price to our farmers or improve the value of the industry. The only obvious outcomes from the Victorian milk deal are increased supermarket market domination, confused consumers and the VFF’s reputation among dairy farmers in question.