Saturday, 25 July 2015 10:00

Breathing easier at the bank

Written by 

Farmers supplying Fonterra’s Wagga Wagga factory in the NSW Riverina have been offered a new pricing agreement aimed at taking the volatility out of milk income. 

After years of farmer lobbying, the processer offered a ‘cap and collar’ option, which will put a floor and a ceiling on the farmgate milk price for three years. 

About 20 farmers from Wagga Wagga and Finley districts supply the factory that produces Riverina Fresh products for the east coast market.

Euberta farmers Neil and Simone Jolliffe say they’ve sought this certainty since buying their farm seven years ago.

“When we bought the farm we were on A56 cents/L and the following year we dropped to A36c,” Jolliffe says.

“It’s come at a good time for us. We’re looking to grow the business but we didn’t want to grow it and take a big hit like we did in 2009. Now we’ve got an assurance that for the next three years this will be our price.”

Neil Jolliffe estimates this will mean his milk cheque will only fluctuate by about 4 cents/L over the next three years. 

More like this

Fonterra & Silver Fern Farms Launch Beef-on-Dairy Programme

As dairy farmers lock in plans for the upcoming mating season, a partnership between Fonterra and Silver Fern Farms has been formed with the aim of making it simpler to create additional value from calves not entering the replacement herd.

Fonterra's Whareroa Wins Directors Award

Fonterra's Whareroa site took home the prestigious Directors Award at the co-op's 'Oscars of Manufacturing', while Clandeboye led the way with multiple wins at this year's Best Site Cup.

Featured

National

Machinery & Products

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Common sense

OPINION: City and regional councils have been put on notice - stop using extreme climate forecasting scenarios that can drive…

Going Green

OPINION: The Green Party’s rivers and oceans policy may have a new name but nothing else has changed.

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter