SUSTAINED farmer partnerships are critical to the future of Lion’s dairy business.
Speaking at Queensland Country Life’s Food Heroes event on the Platell’s dairy farm near Beaudesert, Lion Dairy and Drinks external relations director Elise Gare said her company has made a commitment to what was termed the three Ps. These were competitive pricing, partnerships and a clear purpose.
“We have 398 dairy farmers supplying the Lion Dairy and Drinks business nationally,” Ms Gare said.
“This includes 180 direct suppliers and 218 suppliers through the Dairy Farmers Milk Cooperative.
“In Queensland we have 111 dairy farms supplying our business either directly or through the DFMC.
“Broken down that is 63 dairy farms in South East Queensland (12 direct and 51 DFMC suppliers) and there are 48 farms in Far North Queensland (all DFMC).”
Lion’s milk brands Dairy Farmers and Pura and flavoured products including Dare, Big M, Farmers’ Union, Masters and Moove. Its specialty cheese brands included South Cape, King Island Dairy, Mersey Valley and Tasmanian Heritage.
Ms Gare said it was based on Lion’s commitment to farmers that it rejected the notion of retrospective changes in milk price.
“They undermine trust and damage farmers’ ability to plan for and invest in their businesses,” Ms Gare said.
“That is why Lion did not impose retrospective cuts in response to market conditions last year and does not support them as a matter of principle.”
Ms Gare said in the drinking milk production states of Queensland, NSW and Western Australia, Lion paid either the highest or the second highest price with little consumer or customer benefit to be supported.
The company also launched a web-based sustainability program called Lion Dairy Pride in December, offering farmers ways to measure, evaluate and improve key areas on their farms.
Lion had also partnered with Landcare, enabling farmers to apply for up to $10,000 grants to help improve on-farm environmental efficiency and profitability.
An initiative with Lion’s beer business had also seen farmers access brewers’ grain made available as a stock feed.
We detest the notion of retrospective changes in milk price.
- Elise Gare, Lion