Lactalis’ Rockhampton milk factory to close

Lactalis today announced the closure of its Rockhampton factory from the end of February.

LACTALIS will close its Rockhampton factory from the end of February.

Queensland Dairyfarmers’ Organisation president and Lactalis supplier Brian Tessmann said the state’s declining milk production over the last decade meant that the closure of the Rockhampton plant was “inevitable”.

“While this certainly will be a devastating blow to those employed at the Rockhampton plant, the closure should not affect the dairy farmers currently supplying to Lactalis,” he said.

“Production into the Rockhampton factory has been sporadic for a while now.

“Milk produced in the Central Queensland region for Lactalis will simply be transported down and processed in either the Nambour or South Brisbane factories.

Mr Tessmann said only farms around Biggenden and to the north had their milk going regularly to Rockhampton.

Before deregulation in 2000, Queensland produced 848 million litres a year and had more than 1500 farms.

Queensland milk production dropped by more than 15 per cent year on year from 2018 to 2019 and is expected to continue to decline due to ongoing drought and the number of farm closures.

While recent rain over most of the South East has been a welcome relief, it will take at least a year before farmers see a return to normal production and only once drought declarations are rescinded.