There is definitely something very wrong with the world when farmers can’t even sell milk unless they agree to be exploited or worse - buy into the game if they don’t play by the rules.You do wonder why they would even need to worry about a small producer like this.It was heartening to read that many did support them and held their ground despite the pressure applied. One more small Australian farmer crippled by big business.I read a post on social media and it broke my heart and filled me with rage, all at the same time.
" The hardest post I’ve ever had to write - and I apologize for it being long winded
Due to a series of circumstances outside of our control, Central Queensland Dairy Fresh will be closing our business doors and ceasing our dairy operation at the end of November 2023.
It’s been a hell of a ride since we took the leap of faith and made the decision to step away from the ‘safety’ of supplying milk to a major processor and starting our own brand some years ago. That decision to start our own brand was more or less forced on us by Paul’s Parmalat (now lactilis) paying such a low farm gate price that it was either do our own thing or slowly go broke under their payment scheme.
They took their opportunity to screw us hard when we gave them notice that we were leaving them to do our own brand and then continued to actively work hard against us in the market place with absolute malicious lies about us and threatening shop owners if they supported us by stocking our milk that they would remove fridges and increase the wholesale prices etc.
Thankfully, we have had unwavering support from shops, cafes, corner stores, home delivery recipients and just all round supporters of our brand and more importantly, doing their best to ensure that the dairy industry in Queensland survives and FRESH LOCAL milk is always available for consumers.
We have thrived and our business has been on a continual path of growth since day one - until earlier this year when it all went pear shaped.
We have always avoided high overhead costs by getting our milk processed by Cooloola Milk Co based just outside of Gympie and have been incredibly grateful for the service they’ve provided to us over the years we’ve done business with them. However, the owners of Cooloola have decided it’s time to hang up their own cups in their dairy and retire - which in fact provided us with an exciting opportunity to potentially purchase their farm, processing plant, brand and everything that goes along with it…. Turns out that wasn’t to be as after agreeing on a purchase price and waiting for 6 days for a contract to sign, the vendors came back with an extra $1.3 million added to the purchase price!!
Needless to say we had words over that and the lack of integrity shown by them to go back on the handshake deal we had - I simply couldn’t make the business case stack up well enough to go any further on that deal. (Side note - greed hasn’t helped them as it still hasn’t sold, just selling off in parts now so no legacy to continue)
We frantically started discussions with other milk processors to try and find an alternative solution in order to keep our pride and joy brand going, but to no avail as we simply couldn’t find a viable option.
Last resort was to approach LACTILIS (Pauls milk) to see if they’d collect our milk and if they’d agree we could reluctantly relinquish the brand but still remain dairy farming - something we have done since 1906!
If you’re wondering how classy big business is - I made the inquiry via their field officer who said they would speak to management but couldn’t see it as a problem because the milk tanker literally goes right past our farm gate and it would in fact increase the viability of that run for them…. However, I received a TEXT MESSAGE - yep, all class - advising that ‘we are not prepared to take you on as a supplier’ then stonewalled me with no sign of any further kind of correspondence. All class…
Needless to say, we are absolutely gutted - because walking away from a 5 generation family owned and run dairy farming business that has been in operation for 117, yes 117 continuous years, is something we never imagined we would have to do….especially not by being forced out due to lack of somewhere to send high quality milk in a country that is now a net importer of dairy products.
In closing (quite literally) our family wants to sincerely thank our loyal customers, so many who have become friends - for their support, kindness, friendship and help since we first started. We won’t forget you and hope you won’t forget us.
Final message & I apologize for the language…
Fuck big business and their seeming determination to screw the little guys and farmers. I will always encourage people to support the battlers and small businesses because they are what our country was built on and will die without.
Over and out."
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