Dairy Farmer Issues

[STEALTHY]

Originally Posted by DoubleTrouble

Quite true for a few brands but how many other brands out there for sale, some milk does taste different (fact)

I never said anything about a different brand. Clearly if a product is made with a certain recipe, it will taste different.

I clearly listed the brands that are (were) identicle, and a situation where someone swore black and blue the product tasted different!

/\ Both facts!

[LTDHO]

So, what milk should we buy to help out our farmers?

[Work Horse]

Originally Posted by LTDHO

So, what milk should we buy to help out our farmers?

Seems a simple question, the answer requires some understanding of how milk gets from cows in Dairy farmers paddocks to your fridge.

This has already been posted; it explains some of the issues and is a bit of a laugh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIOv...&feature=share

Basically whatever milk you buy from the supermarkets the farmer receives the same amount of money. And basically it's the same milk no matter what you pay. So paying more for "brand name" milk does not put more money in farmer's pockets, it does mean more profit for the supermarket you buy it from and the company that processes the milk.

You can buy direct from Farmers co operatives like;
https://www.aussiefarmers.com.au/pag...milk-and-dairy
http://www.norco.com.au/our-products...hp?Lite-Milk-2
http://www.organicdairyfarmers.com.au/

It costs more and is a hassle to obtain but will direct more money to the Dairy farmers that produce the milk.

The problem with supermarkets selling milk cheap is we all start to under value the product. The supermarkets are cutting the price of milk to get us in the door so we will buy all our groceries from them. The supermarkets don't care about dairy farmers supermarkets are in business to make money.

Farming is like any other business; they experience highs and lows in their chosen market area. Unlike many other businesses farmers are very hard to replace and provide an essential service, food production.
We all need to support Australian farmers and understand what the convenience and perceived cost saving shopping at supermarkets mean.

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

Originally Posted by LTDHO

So, what milk should we buy to help out our farmers?

What ever milk you like, makes no difference, the farmers get paid the same flat rate for all the milk they sell, some milk is just sold at higher profit.

So buying expensive milk is just a suck in for the sheep buying the stuff believing they are helping farmers, when all of a sudden there is a mad rush of sheep buying branded milk boosting supermarket milk profits into the stratosphere.

The only thing that probably started this was because supermarkets were probably selling more home brand milk than fancy label expensive milk, so they started this so sheep will buy expensive milk 'to help the farmers' when all they are doing is boosting supermarket profit margins.

Originally Posted by DoubleTrouble

What would you know! you have admitted you been using one brand for the last 4 years and for your kids to test milk, well that is one big fail as kids have the biggest imaginations ever.

If you put three glasses of milk in front of kids pretty sure they will be able to tell you if one tastes different to the other if it does, adults are the ones with the imagination as can clearly be seen in this thread with the amount of people claiming that identical batches of milk taste different because it has a different label on it.

What would I know?? Probably a lot more than you can ever dream of, at least I am not dumb enough to fall for the propaganda of believing that buying expensive milk somehow helps farmers, farmers don't get more money for different milks, they get a flat rate, the seller decides what label they stick on it and how much you pay.

So buying expensive milk only adds to the supermarkets profits, makes no difference to the farmers what so ever.

Originally Posted by GasOLane

With a statement like that I hope you've actually seen this in practice.

No but I have been told by people that work there and by dairy farmers themselves as I personally know two dairy farmers, so I don't have to see this myself.

This is how it is done, you may notice that all brands milk get delivered by the same milk delivery truck and all come out of the same processing plant.

Coles does not keep it's own cheap Coles cows out the back of the supermarket, just like they don't gave special Coles branded rice paddies in China.

[Romulus]

I get raw milk now, bypassing this issue all together. And I'm supporting a local at the same time.

[GTP84]

The problem started in 1999 with deregulation. Coles and Woolworths pushed hard for it to happen knowing they could exploit the industry for their own benefit. Then some years later, Coles started the $1 per litre war. This was history repeating itself. The Coles management were recruited from the UK where they had taken the same actions earlier. The result is the UK dairy industry basically collapsed to the point where the retailers buy raw milk direct from the farmers at a price set by the retailer and then have the product contract packed for them. farmers are totally controlled by the retailer, processors are gone, vendors are gone. Coles and Woolworths have appeared at a senate enquiry into their marketing practises and the flow on effects but as usual, their market dominance allowed them to provide answers that were 'economical with the truth' and get away with it. The other issue that nobody ever mentions is the vendor, which I have been for almost 26 years. We, like the farmers are Australian family owned, also start work in the small hours every day and have also been hit by Coles and Woolworths actions. Our income has stalled and gone backwards in recent years, currently at 2006 levels. Like the farmers, our costs have increased substantially over that time. The biggest impact from the $2 milk is from smaller businesses such as coffee shops/restaurants etc that previously purchased from local vendors, many now buy their milk from Coles or Woolworths at a price the vendor cannot match. Therefore, are much larger portion of milk sales are via Coles and Woolworths who do not source from vendors, they get their milk sent to their warehouse and deliver on their own semi trailers. In summary, if you want to help the farmers, and vendors. the answer is to buy branded products from farmer owned companies such as Norco, 4Real etc from independent retailers, not Coles or Woolworths. At the very least, stay away from home brands, unless we want to lose an important industry, and 1000's of jobs, just like what Coles management have done before in the UK.

[bobthebilda]

Originally Posted by GTP84

The problem started in 1999 with deregulation. Coles and Woolworths pushed hard for it to happen knowing they could exploit the industry for their own benefit. Then some years later, Coles started the $1 per litre war. This was history repeating itself. The Coles management were recruited from the UK where they had taken the same actions earlier. The result is the UK dairy industry basically collapsed to the point where the retailers buy raw milk direct from the farmers at a price set by the retailer and then have the product contract packed for them. farmers are totally controlled by the retailer, processors are gone, vendors are gone. Coles and Woolworths have appeared at a senate enquiry into their marketing practises and the flow on effects but as usual, their market dominance allowed them to provide answers that were 'economical with the truth' and get away with it. The other issue that nobody ever mentions is the vendor, which I have been for almost 26 years. We, like the farmers are Australian family owned, also start work in the small hours every day and have also been hit by Coles and Woolworths actions. Our income has stalled and gone backwards in recent years, currently at 2006 levels. Like the farmers, our costs have increased substantially over that time. The biggest impact from the $2 milk is from smaller businesses such as coffee shops/restaurants etc that previously purchased from local vendors, many now buy their milk from Coles or Woolworths at a price the vendor cannot match. Therefore, are much larger portion of milk sales are via Coles and Woolworths who do not source from vendors, they get their milk sent to their warehouse and deliver on their own semi trailers. In summary, if you want to help the farmers, and vendors. the answer is to buy branded products from farmer owned companies such as Norco, 4Real etc from independent retailers, not Coles or Woolworths. At the very least, stay away from home brands, unless we want to lose an important industry, and 1000's of jobs, just like what Coles management have done before in the UK.

Its very sad that businesses go thru hard times, but thats just the sad fact of not innovating. Farmers are always going to get the going rate for their milk, no matter who buys from them, be it your company, or Coles or Woolies. The Crux of the matter is simply that your company probably needs to mark up that litre of milk by a $1 a litre, whereas Coles or Woolies are happy to sell it at cost price (or even use it as a loss leader to get customers in).

[danzvtil]

This whole saga I have to say has gotten embarrassing. All the media coverage and chatter on the internet has turned it into a buy aussie issue- "buy aussie milk and save our farmers!"
Fact-all the fresh milk (and the vast bulk of value added products like cheese/yoghurt etc) in our supermarkets comes from aussie milk. The point has been made, there are no home brand cows anywhere.
So its now actually 2 issues, consumers are using this as an excuse to punish the big 2 for $1 per litre milk. That's fine, the general public are now passionate about milk. If all the home brand milk was sold at $1.50 or $2 per litre, they would sell just as much.
The message here is aussies don't want the big 2 using their power to force down the price they pay to the milk processor, who then has to cut what they pay the farmer.

The second one is the fact that Australia exports up to 40% of its dairy production (to a world that currently has a milk/milk products glut), processors are quite happy to take high prices when they are there, but have to claw back when they drop. I hope this means the processors will be banned from retrospective price drops for the farmers sakes.

[383hq]

Originally Posted by Romulus

I get raw milk now, bypassing this issue all together. And I'm supporting a local at the same time.

I'm not located in vic, but it's a police state when I do go - didn't the regulators try and make raw milk buyers criminals recently with certain changes?

Typical bastardry -try and control everyone and everything, the greater population just can't be trusted....

If true, politicians, lawyers, et al have ruined this once great country (IMHO, and don't get me started on speed limits safety v productivity. Sorry for the lame, attempted thread hijack.)

[paulb351]

Originally Posted by GTP84

The problem started in 1999 with deregulation. Coles and Woolworths pushed hard for it to happen knowing they could exploit the industry for their own benefit. Then some years later, Coles started the $1 per litre war. This was history repeating itself. The Coles management were recruited from the UK where they had taken the same actions earlier. The result is the UK dairy industry basically collapsed to the point where the retailers buy raw milk direct from the farmers at a price set by the retailer and then have the product contract packed for them. farmers are totally controlled by the retailer, processors are gone, vendors are gone. Coles and Woolworths have appeared at a senate enquiry into their marketing practises and the flow on effects but as usual, their market dominance allowed them to provide answers that were 'economical with the truth' and get away with it. The other issue that nobody ever mentions is the vendor, which I have been for almost 26 years. We, like the farmers are Australian family owned, also start work in the small hours every day and have also been hit by Coles and Woolworths actions. Our income has stalled and gone backwards in recent years, currently at 2006 levels. Like the farmers, our costs have increased substantially over that time. The biggest impact from the $2 milk is from smaller businesses such as coffee shops/restaurants etc that previously purchased from local vendors, many now buy their milk from Coles or Woolworths at a price the vendor cannot match. Therefore, are much larger portion of milk sales are via Coles and Woolworths who do not source from vendors, they get their milk sent to their warehouse and deliver on their own semi trailers. In summary, if you want to help the farmers, and vendors. the answer is to buy branded products from farmer owned companies such as Norco, 4Real etc from independent retailers, not Coles or Woolworths. At the very least, stay away from home brands, unless we want to lose an important industry, and 1000's of jobs, just like what Coles management have done before in the UK.

Thanks for the info. Truth was the first casualty in this war. I buy Norco in Brisbane but finding a non Coles retailer is difficult as I am keen to support Aussie farmers and vendors.

The U.K. War was ended by legislation seems that is far from happening here.

[mcflux]

Originally Posted by danzvtil

This whole saga I have to say has gotten embarrassing. All the media coverage and chatter on the internet has turned it into a buy aussie issue- "buy aussie milk and save our farmers!"
Fact-all the fresh milk (and the vast bulk of value added products like cheese/yoghurt etc) in our supermarkets comes from aussie milk.

Here's an image getting around various sites, it details Aussie-made and owned, as well as Aussie-made (but owned overseas)



As for all the discussion in other posts about how $1/L Colesworths milk gives the same return to the processors / farmers as $3/L branded milk, consider this:

Every time you buy a $1/L home-brand milk you're bolstering the duopoly's statistics on $1/L vs $3/L milk and thus add more clout to their contract purchasing power when it comes to renewal time. The retailers will use the excuse that they're being good corporate citizens by slashing their own profit margins to supposedly help the poor farmers out (and that the "greedy consumer" is hurting the duopoly's profit margins though buying the $1/L milk). If the consumers all shift to home-brand milk it helps justify the ongoing action of the retailers to rip the farmers off.

[Romulus]

Originally Posted by 383hq

I'm not located in vic, but it's a police state when I do go - didn't the regulators try and make raw milk buyers criminals recently with certain changes?

Typical bastardry -try and control everyone and everything, the greater population just can't be trusted....

If true, politicians, lawyers, et al have ruined this once great country (IMHO, and don't get me started on speed limits safety v productivity. Sorry for the lame, attempted thread hijack.)

I don't live in Pigtoria either, however, we've Police/Nanny states in every state and Territory in this country. I believe anyone selling raw milk in WA can be fined. That said, I won't disclose where or who I get mine from.

This piece from Senator David Leyonhjelm sums it up very well how government thinks for us.

What the Senate nanny state inquiry taught me about public health lobbyists

by David Leyonhjelm

The Senate nanny state inquiry, which I chaired, has ended due to the election. Its seven short reports, available on the Parliament House website, make sobering and even disturbing reading.

Throughout the inquiry – during public hearings and in submissions – three things about Australian public health lobbyists came to worry me: a conceited arrogance in the face of evidence from overseas; a desire to make laws "for the greater good", and the belief that "appropriate" intellectuals know better than the rest of us.

Combined, the three tendencies also revealed a growing confluence between nanny-statism and the police state.

Arrogance was particularly blatant with respect to e-cigarettes, football policing, and bicycle helmets. Australian lobbyists ignored findings from Public Health England, the NHS, and various UK and EU police forces. It didn't seem to matter to them that other countries were just fine with people riding bikes without a helmet, singing rude songs at the football, or advertising e-cigs widely. The public health lobby's refusal to even listen was seriously embarrassing. I found myself apologising to witnesses from leading UK hospitals and universities.

Australia used to suffer from "the cultural cringe", where anything from overseas was assumed to be better than the local product. This seems to have been over-corrected – we now have a reverse cultural cringe. When it comes to the nanny state, we think we're so ****-hot we have nothing to learn.

Then there were calls for the enactment of legislation on the basis of "the greater good", which was particularly glaring during the lockouts hearing. This represents utilitarianism of the crudest sort.

Utilitarianism is a serious and important part of the Western liberal political tradition. However, it has long been recognised – including by smarter utilitarians – that legislation focusing on good outcomes for the majority at the expense of the minority is a bad idea. It becomes possible, for example, to justify subjecting 10 per cent of the population to misery if gains to the 90 per cent remaining are greater than the misery inflicted on the 10 per cent.

By this logic, Sydney's lockouts are defensible simply because there are more residents of Kings Cross who like lockouts than there are people – musicians, sex workers, and publicans – who have lost their jobs and businesses as a consequence.

Historically, some truly repellent activities – including slavery and genocide – have been excused on the basis of "the greatest good for the greatest number". It has a long and dishonourable history and has no place in public policy development in a liberal democracy.

And, as I learned, it has its origins in the belief that our educated betters have a right to substitute their preferences for our own.

If we persist in thinking people cannot make simple decisions about how to protect their own head, what games to play, when to drink or what to eat, why then do we think they can do something as complicated as voting, which involves choosing between different political visions? If people are so thick, should they even be allowed to vote?

There are two points to be made here. First, those who would treat us like children and substitute their minds for ours ignore that suffrage has history. One of the arguments against extending the vote to women and working-class men was that they were not fit to make political choices because they spent their money on frivolities such as beer, cigarettes and lacy dresses.

Every time those in love with their own expertise seek to regulate what people buy or wear or put in their mouths, they gloss over the fact that the people who shop and the people who vote are the same people.

Secondly, simply because individuals can make poor decisions does not mean governments make better ones. There is abundant evidence they generally don't, and because governments are so large, their bad decisions have far more expensive and destructive consequences: think of the failure of the State Banks of Victoria and South Australia in the '90s, and the pink batts scandal.

Finally, while people may eat unhealthy food or have poor taste in entertainment, they can be skilled at exercising political choice. The reverse also applies. For decades, many intellectuals supported communism, a political system that amounted to little more than a licence to murder.

Chairing the nanny state Inquiry taught me that if we let other people think for us, we will never think for ourselves.

David Leyonhjelm is a senator for the Liberal Democrats.



Read more: http://www.afr.com/opinion/columnist...#ixzz49XAH7wPJ
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[Work Horse]

Originally Posted by Ghia5L

As for all the discussion in other posts about how $1/L Colesworths milk gives the same return to the processors / farmers as $3/L branded milk, consider this:

Every time you buy a $1/L home-brand milk you're bolstering the duopoly's statistics on $1/L vs $3/L milk and thus add more clout to their contract purchasing power when it comes to renewal time. The retailers will use the excuse that they're being good corporate citizens by slashing their own profit margins to supposedly help the poor farmers out (and that the "greedy consumer" is hurting the duopoly's profit margins though buying the $1/L milk). If the consumers all shift to home-brand milk it helps justify the ongoing action of the retailers to rip the farmers off.

I think you make a great argument for not shopping at Coles or Woolies to try and reduce their market power.

But if you are still going into Coles or Woolies to buy milk I don't understand how paying double for the same product helps farmers and hurts Coles or Woolies. Coles and Woolies still retain market share and the power that comes with it no matter which milk you buy.

Originally Posted by Romulus

David Leyonhjelm is a senator for the Liberal Democrats.

Not for long

[Charliewool]

Originally Posted by Ghia5L

Here's an image getting around various sites, it details Aussie-made and owned, as well as Aussie-made (but owned overseas)

image

As for all the discussion in other posts about how $1/L Colesworths milk gives the same return to the processors / farmers as $3/L branded milk, consider this:

Every time you buy a $1/L home-brand milk you're bolstering the duopoly's statistics on $1/L vs $3/L milk and thus add more clout to their contract purchasing power when it comes to renewal time. The retailers will use the excuse that they're being good corporate citizens by slashing their own profit margins to supposedly help the poor farmers out (and that the "greedy consumer" is hurting the duopoly's profit margins though buying the $1/L milk). If the consumers all shift to home-brand milk it helps justify the ongoing action of the retailers to rip the farmers off.

2 of my customers on those lists (one on each)
Bega and Tatura.. They are both Aussie owned and in fact the same company!
Once again interweb BS methinks

[CoupeKing]

Well I've been buying long-life milk for yonks now. Was always Devondale until Aldi started selling their milk for 90 cents - then safeway/coles followed suit with their 'everyday' prices.

After seeing that picture Ghia5L posted, I will pay the little extra and go back to Devondale, or any of those aussie made and owned dairy companies in the upper half of that picture - spreading your business over as many companies as you can is just as important. I'm in melb, hardly see most of those company names where I shop - I'll look harder.

And I will apply it to cheese/yoghurt/ cream...etc.

Anyone else think the 'Australian Made' and Australian Made and Owned' icons are too alike?

[Stefan]

It amazes me that everyone complains about Colesworth yet continue to shop there and keep buying the "homebrand" crap.

I've been going to Harris Farm almost exclusively for 3 years now and I get better quality fruit veg and meats and don't get tempted to buy the processed junk which fills 80% of a supermarket. Better for me, better for Aussie producers. Everyone wins including my waistline.

I see the same posters continue to buy cheap crap and then be the first to complain and wonder why everything comes from China...

If you don't like what Coles and Woolies do....DON'T SHOP THERE...

[Stefan]

Originally Posted by Ghia5L

Every time you buy a $1/L home-brand milk you're bolstering the duopoly's statistics on $1/L vs $3/L milk and thus add more clout to their contract purchasing power when it comes to renewal time. The retailers will use the excuse that they're being good corporate citizens by slashing their own profit margins to supposedly help the poor farmers out (and that the "greedy consumer" is hurting the duopoly's profit margins though buying the $1/L milk). If the consumers all shift to home-brand milk it helps justify the ongoing action of the retailers to rip the farmers off.

Do we think just buying $3 milk will fix it all? They still make a profit on Dairy Farmers milk too!

Don't shop at Coles or Woolies full stop, that might change the game.

[Work Horse]

Originally Posted by CoupeKing

Anyone else think the 'Australian Made' and Australian Made and Owned' icons are too alike?

Fear not new labelling is coming but you still have to research weather the company making the product is Australian owned. An opportunity missed perhaps.

http://www.businessinsider.com.au/au...ok-like-2016-3

[olfella]

Originally Posted by LTDHO

So, what milk should we buy to help out our farmers?

Let me see if I have this right.
Any milk I buy is Australian milk.
Who sells to the duopoly? Devondale etc?
So I buy milk for $1 litre when I COULD pay up to $3 a litre?
If I don't buy the 'brand' milk them it gets thrown out and the farmer, usually local gets nil $?

Therefore, I should not buy on price anymore but rather on where the milk is sourced? - BUT what if that is the same place that the producer sells to the duopoly?
It seems that I am the one losing out here.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by Stefan

It amazes me that everyone complains about Colesworth yet continue to shop there and keep buying the "homebrand" crap.

I've been going to Harris Farm almost exclusively for 3 years now and I get better quality fruit veg and meats and don't get tempted to buy the processed junk which fills 80% of a supermarket. Better for me, better for Aussie producers. Everyone wins including my waistline.

I see the same posters continue to buy cheap crap and then be the first to complain and wonder why everything comes from China...

If you don't like what Coles and Woolies do....DON'T SHOP THERE...

Much of the homebrand 'crap' also carries the aussie made logo. If you want to pay extra for pretty packaging then thats your prerogative.

[CoupeKing]

Originally Posted by Work Horse

Fear not new labelling is coming but you still have to research weather the company making the product is Australian owned. An opportunity missed perhaps.

Between that and the codes they give in the ingredient listing, and the heart tick.....I feel like I need to master Rubik's Cube just to make spag bol.

So hard to Police. I'd like to see a special label given to comapines that are Australian owned and made, but also every ingredient used is sourced/made/grown locally..something like that.

Then you have the misleading titles such as '100% Pure Fresh'...I can take a dumb on your car roof and call it 100% Pure Fresh.

Then you have to deal with the 'No added MSG'...true story, they didn't add any, but the company they purchased the 'spices' from basically breath MSG.

And when I see 'made from local and imported ingredients' How much comes from China? Baby formula ring any bells?

[mcflux]

2 of my customers on those lists (one on each)
Bega and Tatura.. They are both Aussie owned and in fact the same company!
Once again interweb BS methinks

It looks like I've fallen victim to interweb BS. So as a result I've decided to go through the list company-by-company.

INCORRECTLY OR SPURIOUSLY LISTED AS AUSSIE-OWNED:
* Barista Bros <-- Owned by Coca-Cola. Whether the $ stays in Australia or goes overseas to another Coca-Cola entity, who knows...
* Allowrie <-- Owned by Fonterra (NZ)

INCORRECTLY LISTED AS (NOT) AUSSIE-OWNED:
* Tatura - part of Bega which IS Aussie-owned as pointed out by Charliewool

OTHER:
* Farmers Own <-- Owned by Woolworths (Aussie-owned) - if you're hating on Coles/Woolies.

Here's a link to various dairy entities and their owners: http://guide.ethical.org.au/guide/browse/guide/?type=15

Do we think just buying $3 milk will fix it all? They still make a profit on Dairy Farmers milk too!

Nope, it won't fix it all, and the immediate results are a boost in returns for Colesworths. But it sends a message, and that message is not everyone wants to jump over to $1/L milk. $1/L milk ensures farmers will continue to feel the squeeze.

As for my personal shopping habits I tend to buy dairy, meat and fresh produce from local markets, delis, butchers, grocers, but I do go to Colesworths for (mostly Aussie-owned) tinned stuff.

[b0son]

Originally Posted by Stefan

Don't shop at Coles or Woolies full stop, that might change the game.

Not all that practical when you don't have an alternative nearby.

The simple solution is to stop Coles/Woolies selling home brand. How is it not anti-competitive?

What's the bet that if the two major milk processors got together and showed unity to ensure milk producers got a fair price, Coles/Woolies would run to curt and scream 'cartel'?

[danzvtil]

Originally Posted by Ghia5L

It looks like I've fallen victim to interweb BS. So as a result I've decided to go through the list company-by-company.

INCORRECTLY OR SPURIOUSLY LISTED AS AUSSIE-OWNED:
* Barista Bros <-- Owned by Coca-Cola. Whether the $ stays in Australia or goes overseas to another Coca-Cola entity, who knows...
* Allowrie <-- Owned by Fonterra (NZ)

INCORRECTLY LISTED AS (NOT) AUSSIE-OWNED:
* Tatura - part of Bega which IS Aussie-owned as pointed out by Charliewool

OTHER:
* Farmers Own <-- Owned by Woolworths (Aussie-owned) - if you're hating on Coles/Woolies.

Here's a link to various dairy entities and their owners: http://guide.ethical.org.au/guide/browse/guide/?type=15


.

While were on the subject of quality milk products, Barista Bros is the only flavoured milk on the market MADE FROM IMPORTED MILK POWDER. Read the label.

Incidentally, if youre ever in SA try some Fleurieau Milk Co Iced Coffee. The Coffee is real Monjava, not overly sweet, and occasionally you'll get lumps of cream

[GTP84]

Yes they will still make a profit on Dairy farmers milk and shopping elsewhere might send a message but the underlying issue is that they have been allowed to get too big by successive governments and they use that excessive market power all too often. The duopoly are obsessed with home brand products in every segment so they have control. They tell the suppliers how much they will pay for their products, take it or leave it. They don't care who makes it or where it comes from or the flow on effects to the supplier/farmer. As they control so much of the grocery market, no supplier can realistically afford to say no. Also, on many occasions, if the supplier doesn't agree to package the home brand products for the duopoly, they will find their branded products are either minimised or deleted off the shelves (has everyone noticed the range of products on shelves has decreased over recent years? Now you know why) . If we all boycott home brand products, they lose that power to set prices and screw suppliers to the wall. The supplier can say, this is my price, take it or leave it, then consumer demand will force the duopoly's hand to reluctantly carry those products at a price which allows the supplier/farmer to make a decent living.

Originally Posted by Stefan

Do we think just buying $3 milk will fix it all? They still make a profit on Dairy Farmers milk too!

Don't shop at Coles or Woolies full stop, that might change the game.

[STEALTHY]

Originally Posted by danzvtil

Incidentally, if youre ever in SA try some Fleurieau Milk Co Iced Coffee. The Coffee is real Monjava, not overly sweet, and occasionally you'll get lumps of cream

But why would anyone in SA not drink Farmers Union IC? Cause its a Farmers Union Iced Coffee, or its nothin' ;)

(Random fact, SA is the only place in the world, where a milk drink outsells a cola drink, yep, the whole planet!)

[danzvtil]

Originally Posted by STEALTHY

But why would anyone in SA not drink Farmers Union IC? Cause its a Farmers Union Iced Coffee, or its nothin' ;)

(Random fact, SA is the only place in the world, where a milk drink outsells a cola drink, yep, the whole planet!)

Nup, FUIC is the nescafe blend 43 of iced coffees, only the bogans drink it (and we have a lot of bogans here).
Dare iced coffee is where its at nowadays.

[STEALTHY]

Originally Posted by danzvtil

Nup, FUIC is the nescafe blend 43 of iced coffees, only the bogans drink it (and we have a lot of bogans here).
Dare iced coffee is where its at nowadays.

Its ok, everyone is allowed their own opinion, even if its wrong :p

(likening FUIC to blend 43, laughable haha)

[SYZ]

Originally Posted by Ghia5L

Barista Bros <-- Owned by Coca-Cola. Whether the $ stays in Australia or goes overseas to another Coca-Cola entity, who knows... [...]

Not exactly. Barista Bros is a brand name of Coca-Cola Amatil (Aust) Pty Ltd which is majority owned by Australians. The US Coca-Cola Company US has a 29% shareholding.

BTW, a lot of people's favourite store—Aldi—is wholly owned by German company Aldi Süd based in Essen, which was controlled by Karl Hans Albrecht, who at the time was the richest bloke in Germany. Consumers need to understand this, rather than damning Australian-owned Coles and Woolworths. And also note that 7% of Aldi's dairy product is imported.

[Stefan]

Originally Posted by prydey

Much of the homebrand 'crap' also carries the aussie made logo. If you want to pay extra for pretty packaging then thats your prerogative.

Yes it does but we whinge about the "duopoly" screwing farmers, easy fixed, don't shop there, that means take your business elsewhere, not just stop buying homebrand.