Saving the Queensland dairy industry together

The ACCC report claimed farmers were in a weak bargaining position in the supply chain.

ON A MISSION: Brian Tessman with Adrian Peake at the Queensland Dairy Organisation conference at the Gympie Civic Centre. Picture: Greg Miller

QUEENSLAND Dairyfarmers' Organisation has backed politicians who have tried to put consumers' outrage at reusable shopping bags into perspective, by comparing it to the $1 milk.

President Brian Tessman said Wide Bay Member Llew O'Brien, along with the support of former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce, recently released a statement telling consumers to look after dairy farmers.

"While it does seem ridiculous to pay 15 cents for a bit of plastic compared to $1 per litre for a natural product such as milk, we need to ask what real, meaningful plans are being pulled together by the parties to save our dairy industry," Mr Tessman said.

QDO pushed both state and federal governments to take a stance against the duopoly since they first introduced $1-a-litre pricing back in 2011.

Neither side of the political fence after the ACCC inquiry into the dairy industry was first announced had made a concerted effort to affect the situation, he said.

"The final ACCC report claimed that farmers were in such a weak bargaining position in the supply chain, forcing the supermarkets to increase the price of their private label product would not necessarily see that flow back to farm gate," Mr Tessman said.

Dairy farmers need both sides of politics to work together on a tangible plan to make the domestic milk market function properly and get a real outcome for the dairy industry, he said.

QDO is looking at ways to bypass supply chain politics and use the might of consumers to effect change.