If the MG contracts were illegal you could be assured the affected dairy farmers would have pursued that already, or a legal firm would have taken it on a contingency fee (eg they take a percent of anything won).
Do not forget that “Devondale Murray Goulburn remains 100 per cent controlled by its dairy farmer-shareholders.” and the reality that MG is a business, like most any other business, regardless of its ownership.
No I do not consume milk
No. Most “farmer” brands are an excuse for the supermarkets to charge more while still passing on a miniscule amount to the producers. Kind of like the “Free Range” eggs situation, where you pay a premium price for the same eggs and the chickens still pay the same price with the exception of letting in some sunlight and air.
The only way to know for sure is to buy direct from the farmer, know how to scald off fresh milk, and do that yourself. And of course, we’re also busy legislating AGAINST that. Never mind. We’ll learn eventually… %)
Here in South Gippsland we have a few dairy companies that provide the most benefit to our local farmers, Bass River Dairies and Gippsland Dairy come to mind. We buy from BRD via a local food hub, which keeps the profits out of the hands of bigger corporations and middlemen. If you do some research I’m sure you’ll find at least one such brand local to where you shop. It’s worth doing.
Yes, I always buy b.d Paris Creek Organic Farm Milk, cheese, yoghourt and butter. It’s a local SA farm and if their milk isn’t available we buy Flerieu Farm milk. I think it’s so important to support local farms and their product tastes better as a bonus!v.
I think Harvey Fresh is now Italian owned 
Barnaby Joyce is bleating about the evils of $1/l milk today. As if $2/l milk would do more than add to the bottom lines of Coles, Woolies, Fonterra, Devondale Murray Goulburn, Parmalat, etc. The price they pay to the farmers is what they are going to pay, regardless of what we as consumers chose UNLESS you can buy direct or from a regional coop.
The big companies are laughing at “us” buying the branded milks thinking we are helping farmers, when we are only helping the middlemen and grocers. Choice and The Checkout both have top reality checks on it.
I only buy branded milk, I never buy the no name or supermarket brand milk.
I see that Coles has started to promote its ‘Farmers Fund’ milk, whereby, $0.20/L is supposed to go back to farmers for this milk. It may only boost the average farm gate price of the milk by less than a 1c/L…but could be near to nothing or 1cL depending on sales volumes.
It is worth noting that their marketing material does not allude to this significant limitation on potential to the potential insignificant boost farm gate price for the milk.
Also, the milk will sell for $0.50 for a 2L bottle more than the store branded $1/L bottles.
But the question has been asked why have the farmers not received the full $0.25/L.
Coles can’t argue that it costs more for the ‘Farmers Fund’ as they already have the payment channels back to the processors to send the collected funds in their direction and ultimately to the dairy farmers. They also can’t argue that the milk is more expensive to produce or store as it is the same cows, logistics and refrigerators used as the $1/L milk…so who get the 20% of the extra margin. Well not the farmers but expect that Coles is making an extra $0.05/L to boost its profits by riding the community sentiment on milk prices and how much the farmer should be paid.
Coles is making at least 10 times more if not 100 times more per 2L bottle of milk than what the farmers will get. This is gouging by Coles.
This is why I would not be buying this milk. If the full $0.25/L was going to the farmers, then it would be something I would seriously consider supporting should it be available to me in a supermarket (whether it is Coles or another supermarket).
We are lucky enough to have a dairy farmer in our shire who has fully automated his operation and produces beautiful milk and dairy produce under his own label. I never buy anything else. As a pensioner I too am a victim of costs but some I would rather forgo something else than settle for poor milk especially when the profits go overseas! I make up powdered milk for cooking or putting on cereal. It is hoped that the dairy farmers in our area will band together and produce their milk in the same way and put their produce on the market and that the public will support quality produce. Yes, I do try to support our Farmers.
It’s a battle to get any brand other than the cheap Coles and Woolworths products they fill their fridges with the cheap milk and shoppers have to go on a mission to get branded milk Woolworths and Coles need to sit up and listen.
We buy branded Golden North milk from our local Adelaide Foodland. Paris Creek is another great local brand for dairy products. No interest in buying cheap milk from Coles or Woolies.
Like vyonne57 I support Bannister Downs, a smaller producer in WA, who is the only dairy producer I can find who has reasonable animal welfare standards - eg doesn’t routinely kill bobby calves at 2 or 3 days old, all calves stay with the mother until 6 months, pasture raised etc. Their milk is often used by high end cafes because it tastes better. The dairy industry is one that’s very good at promoting a wholesome, “natural” experience for the animals. Sadly, it’s anything but that in most cases. I’m sure if ppl knew how the milk was produced they’d make other choices.
I buy A2 milk because I feel better on it so as only one producer markets it that’s where my money goes.
Everyone is in it for the money. Farmers, Co-ops and supermarkets are all in it for as much profit as they can get. I get sick of primary producers who can’t manage to make a buck bleating on about how we should support them. If milk is unprofitable then value-add and make yoghurt or cheese or move over and let a producer who will upgrade their farms to produce at a lower unit price. If farmers really feel that aggrieved then get together and refuse to sell to the Internationals until they negotiate a better price. Hit them at their bottom line and you will soon see changes.
I buy Farmers own brand from Woolworths
No only supermarketbrand as any profit and hype re farmers getting poor wholesale prices clearly paying extra is NOT going to farmers but corporations.
People get caught up in trying to help without looking at the real money chain and are having their good intentions abused
I agree but I am not in a position to get other sources currently. It would be easy if we could identify who owned what and where our money actually goes.
Yes, we are buying branded. We are also buying flavoured milk drinks instead of soft drinks when out, to support the farmers.
