Forget about another share trading review
Former Fonterra director Nicola Shadbolt says the recent collapse of a few dairy cooperatives should be blamed on their strategy, not their co-op structure.
Australian farmer Brian McLaren has been a loyal Murray Goulburn supplier for 48 years but the latest price blow could be the final straw.
“Murray Goulburn has ruined me physically, financially and mentally,” says the Woolsthorpe farmer.
“I’ve had a gutsful. You can only get belted over the head so often; you can’t keep coming back.”
McLaren had hoped for an opening price about A$5.50 but more realistically expected A$5.30 with step-ups to boost it towards A$6 later in the year.
However, the season opening of A$4.70/kgMS with a forecast closing price of A$5.20 - $5.40/kg MS has him “gobsmacked”.
Now McLaren is weighing up options for transferring to another company, although he admits his choices are limited.
“I’m looking elsewhere now but my options aren’t great. We will look at Saputo or the Midfield Group or give it away.
“At $4.70 and when you factor in the 10 cents promised for loyalty it’s $4.60 I can’t make a living; nobody can.”
“I’ve been a Murray Goulburn man for well over 40 years. I’ve been supplying them since the Grassmere factory closed and they initially came to the district.”
McLaren has spoken to his accountant and says he will make a “calculated decision” on his future. “We haven’t done the sums. We don’t want to jump out of the frying pan into the fire. It has to be a commercial decision.”
McLaren, who milks 700 cows, says starting at the low price would cost him A$480,000.
“We produced 480,000kgMS last year and if we’re a dollar under our competitors that means I just lost $480,000.”
He remains frustrated about the cooperative’s problems.
“I understand they’re hamstrung in regard to what they can do, but I want to know why.
“If Saputo are trying to source millions of litres to run a cheese factory -- Murray Goulburn has one at Cobram; why can’t we sell the same product and chase an extra 10 million litres.”
McLaren (65) is now considering his future. “I’m working my arse off for nothing. I don’t mind working hard but I want to be paid for it.”
Questions are being raised about just how good the state of the dairy industry is - especially given that the average farmgate payout for the coming season is set to exceed $10/kgMS.
A leading financial and banking advisor says he doubts if most dairy farmers fully understand the dynamics of banking.
Dairy farmers are shoring up their balance sheets, with almost $1.7 billion of debt repaid in the six months to March 2025.
Virtual fencing company Halter is going global but for founder Craig Piggott, New Zealand farmers will always remain their main partners.
A former Fonterra executive is the new chair of the Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand (DCANZ).
New Federated Farmers national dairy chair Karl Dean is looking forward to tackling the issues facing the sector.
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