IT’S been more than four years since the price of milk dropped to a dollar a litre.
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Despite the extra pressure on dairy farmers, Simone and Neil Jolliffe remain committed to producing a quality product as demand for milk grows.
The Jolliffes produce more than two million litres of milk annually from their property near Euberta.
While the major supermarkets have put pressure on milk producers and farmers to reduce costs, Mrs Jolliffe said they had been supported by Fonterra, who operate a processing plant in Wagga.
“Fonterra have worked hard to maintain market share and compete with a branded product,” she said.
The milk from the Jolliffe’s cows go towards the Riverina Fresh product and she urged locals to support the brand.
“Australia has a reputation for a clean, green product – it sets Australia apart,” she said.
She support of the Riverina Fresh brand meant they were able to continue to produce a high quality product.
”A profitable industry allows for research and development which means we continue to deliver a quality product to a high standard.”
It also meant jobs in the Wagga economy could be maintained – not only in processing milk, but also through veterinarians, mechanics and agronomists.
All that was left was for certainty for producers with the farm-gate price so they could work with milk processors, prices of a dollar a litre put more pressure on processors like Fonterra.
Mrs Jolliffe said a new supermarket code of conduct has been a positive first step for the market which could reduce retailers power taking some of the pressure on producers and processors like Fonterra.
“Milk is offered at various price points for consumers to meet different budgets and customer needs,” a Fonterra spokeswoman said.
“Fonterra has strong relationships with both its retail customers and farmers, and works hard to ensure that everyone across it supply chain receives a sustainable return.”
They said they were proud of the Riverina Fresh brand which was popular with consumers and cafes.
“It’s got a strong and growing presence, especially in cafes and premium coffee, where it is highly regarded for its flavour and consistency,” they said.