Stop Picking on Farmers Over Milk, Focus on the Supermarkets

Blaming farmers for the price of milk is wrong when supermarkets are creaming profits, says New Zealand First Primary Industries Spokesperson Richard Prosser.

“It is concerning that farmers are under attack over the milk price,” he says.

“We think it is insulting to farmers to have fresh milk compared with Coca-Cola. Milk is a food taking skill to produce, whereas Coke is just carbonated water packed with sugar,” says Mr Prosser.

“Our farmers are definitely not creaming it given their forecast payout is only about 38 cents a litre. In a two-litre bottle of milk that leaves well over $2 for processing and retail costs and margins - three times what the farmer gets paid for producing milk.

“Aside from an inquiry into the supermarket duopoly, New Zealand First’s solution is to remove GST off basic food items, which would reduce a supermarket brand of two litres of milk to $2.77; a saving of 42 cents,” says Mr Prosser.

ENDS

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