Farmers Hosed Off At Grab For LIC

"A great number of farmers I have spoken to want the Livestock Improvement Corporation to become a user co-operative rather than be swallowed by Global Co," reported DFNZ Chairman Charlie Pedersen today.

There are strong concerns about where the LIC will end up in a restructured industry. " Under the previous Merge Co proposal LIC ownership was to be vested in its rightful owners, the users, the people who have built and paid for the LIC," said Mr Pedersen.

"We understand that the intention now is to place the LIC into Global Co ownership," said Mr Pedersen. "This disenfranchises all sharemilkers and also those farm owners who supply the remaining independent dairy companies: Westland, Tatua, Dairy Foods, Kapiti Cheese and United."

"We can see that the LIC database is attractive to Global Co but the database has been created and paid for by farmers who have paid to herd test their cows."

"The most appropriate place for the database is probably the yet to be formed, farmer funded and owned industry good organisation that will benefit all NZ dairy farmers not just those who are shareholders of Global Co," Mr Pedersen concluded.

ENDS

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