Norco Milk Price Aids Flood Recovery

Article by: Hari Yellina

Dairy farmers that supply Norco will see a 5-cent increase in their farmgate milk price to aid with flood recovery and higher input expenses. “Unprecedented expenses in urea, all chemicals, feed, and indeed productivity is down owing to the protracted and heavy weather,” said CEO Michael Hampson. Although the extra payment is only for May and June, it will cost the co-operative, which has roughly 200 member farms, about $1.7 million. Mr Hampson said the price was a record for Norco farmers for this time of year. Mr Hampson has stated that the temporary hike will continue into the new milk season, which begins on July 1, and that its suppliers may expect another increase.

He stated, “We know we need to do more, and we will do more.” “This is a start, and the Norco cooperative’s acknowledgment is undoubtedly keeping them in mind at this time.” We’re just trying to provide a little additional support to help people get through some difficult situations. “We actually expect it to be a considerable increase from where we started on July 1 last year.” Maureen McDonald, a Tatham dairy farmer, said the temporary increase in the farmgate price was encouraging for the coming season. Their farm was severely damaged by the record flood on February 28. Cattle were washed away, pastures, fences, and infrastructure were destroyed, and rehabilitation was further impeded by a lack of rainfall.

“We were just starting to turn things around, things were starting to dry up, and the cows were starting to recover,” she explained, “but the second hit greatly impacted cattle health and nutrition, as well as the farm itself.” “There’s only one way to go now, and that’s up, so that’s what we’re focusing on.” Drought, followed by floods, had decreased a dairy farmer’s Holstein herd to 120 cows, a drop of 30 cows, and he did not believe he would break even with Norco’s price increase. The price increase, according to Peter Rough, was a solid start in helping him recover from the flood.

“We really need to promote that at the market level and have the consumers recognise and reward all of the effort that we put into the product that we put on the shelves for them,” says the author. In an effort to remind consumers how tough dairy farmers are working, the dairy cooperative has rebranded their branded milk with the phrase “Flood recovery, every cent counts.” “There will be a significant rebuild,” Mr Hampson added. “We’ll become used to droughts, and their long, hard grind well floods are just as unpleasant, if not worse, and they’re disastrous because they can change everything in an instant.”