Last year’s dairy crisis was "an avoidable catastrophe" according to two of Australia’s dairy industry leaders .

Rene Dedoncker, Australian head of the world’s biggest dairy company, Fonterra, said the crisis was caused by “out of control” pricing by Victorian processor Murray Goulburn, and its former chief executive, Gary Helou.

According to Victorian dairy consultants, about 70 per cent of Victoria dairy farmers will either make a loss or barely break even this year.

Two large processors cutting the farmgate milk price last season have eroded the trust between farmers and milk factories. Nothing has changed on this front since and the “dairy crisis” is almost at its 12-month anniversary.

Farewell to Murray Goulburn's Phil Tracy: what a legacy you have left

"See yourself out, mate." Fin Review's Joe Aston has 4 words for the departing Chairman of Murray Goulburn, Phil Tracy.

Farmers Milk Price ActionAdley BurstynerMarch 23, 2017Murray Goulburn, Dairy Farmers

John Spark becomes Murray Goulburn's first chairman that isn't a dairy farmer

The battered Melbourne-based co-operative has appointed former Ridley Corporation chairman and restructuring expert John Spark to replace Philip Tracy as its chairman on April 1.

Farmers Milk Price ActionAdley BurstynerMarch 21, 2017Murray Goulburn, Fonterra, Dairy Farmers

Imagine if dairy farmers were paid like Qld cane growers...

IS IT TIME SUPPLIERS RETHOUGHT THE PROCESSOR MODEL and increased their options while reducing their market risk? An interesting article by Marian Macdonald.

Farmers Milk Price ActionAdley BurstynerMarch 15, 2017Dairy Farmers

Murray Goulburn is surveying its suppliers as part of a review of its milk payment system.

The review is just one of a number of reviews being implemented by the co-operative following last year’s disastrous milk price cut.

Dairyfarmer loyalty put to test

Dairyfarmers have generally abandoned the idea of giving long-term loyalty to their milk processor says veteran farm sector boss, John McQueen

Farmers Milk Price ActionAdley BurstynerMarch 14, 2017Dairy Farmers, Murray Goulburn, Fonterra

Dedoncker, who has worked for Fonterra for 11 years, also acknowledges what happened last year was wrong

“The decision to move (the April price cut) itself was not the issue, but how it was done. It was the right decision but the time frame was all wrong,” Dedoncker admits.

Farmers Milk Price ActionAdley BurstynerMarch 14, 2017

Dairy cow health: Vitamin D can go a long way to improve production

Focusing on reducing milk fever through transition feeding, Miss Rodney also looked at the role of feeding supplementary vitamin D and its impact on calcium absorption and the cows’ metabolism.

Farmers Milk Price ActionAdley BurstynerMarch 14, 2017Dairy Farmers

Parmalat workers to face Fair Work inquiry

Parmalat workers locked out of the Echuca site without pay over an enterprise bargaining agreement dispute will speak at today’s inquiry into corporate avoidance of the Fair Work Act 2009.

Farmers Milk Price ActionAdley BurstynerMarch 14, 2017Dairy Farmers

Crisis continues

The milk pricing crisis which impacted on dairy farmers last year has been credited, in part, for the significant losses recently announced by dairy company Murray Goulburn.

Disgruntled dairy farmers angered at last year’s dairy price clawbacks have teamed up to take on the processors in court.

Farmers can still express their interest in joining the action, but Mr Burstyner warned they would need to get in contact quickly.

Farmers Milk Price ActionAdley BurstynerMarch 9, 2017Murray Goulburn, Fonterra, Dairy Farmers

Cheese price war: Discount battle hits dairy farmers

A NEW front has opened up in the dairy discounting war, with supermarkets selling tasty cheese for $6 a kilogram, equivalent to 60 cents a litre for each of the 10 litres that goes into its production.

Farmers Milk Price ActionAdley BurstynerMarch 9, 2017Dairy Farmers

Dairy farmers ready to take class action

Melbourne-based class action law firm Adley Burstyner announced yesterday it would go ahead with a class action against Murray Goulburn and Fonterra, to fight what it claimed was an illegal clawback.

Farmers Milk Price ActionAdley BurstynerMarch 7, 2017Dairy Farmers, Murray Goulburn, Fonterra

Bega Cheese recorded an after-tax profit of $15.7 million for the first six months of 2016-17, while Murray Goulburn announced a $31.9 million loss.

MG said it might consider a non-dairy farmer as its new chairman to replace Philip Tracy, who presided over the biggest crisis the milk processor has faced.

Farmers could get better milk price: Bega

Mr Irvin said the first-half result was strong considering a very wet winter, a highly competitive retail environment, and significant disruption in infant formula supply channels into China

Farmers Milk Price ActionAdley BurstynerFebruary 23, 2017Dairy Farmers

Murray Goulburn: Cloud over regional dairy factories

Speculation the co-operative may be forced to close one or more of its sites continues, as it deals with a significant drop in milk supply after slashing farmgate milk prices last year.

Dairy imports surge as exports stagnate

While Australia dairy exports have stagnated at $3 billion or less for the past 17 years, imports have surged from $337 million in 2000 to almost $1.67 billion last year.

Farmers Milk Price ActionAdley BurstynerFebruary 22, 2017Dairy Farmers

Eight months on and still gutted

The couple estimate the price crash cost them at least $200,000 in lost assets (mainly through forced cattle sales), a figure that will take years and years for them to recuperate.

THE dairy industry’s newest player has guaranteed no step-downs on its opening price as it starts to entice supply for next season

The Union Dairy Company — a joint venture between Warrnambool’s meat processing business The Midfield Group and global agriculture giant Louis Dreyfus Company — has a processing capacity of 220 million litres of milk

Farmers Milk Price ActionAdley BurstynerFebruary 9, 2017Dairy Farmers, Adley Burstyner, Murray Goulburn