Dairy farmers voice anger at Coles
ANGRY dairy farmers vented their frustration over the continuing milk price war at a Coles supermarket representative today.
Dairy producers from across the State travelled to Toowoomba for the annual Queensland Dairyfarmers' Organisation's conference where the hot topic of the day was the price battle.
It was the first time a Coles representative had fronted farmers since the retail giant lowered its supermarket-brand pricing of milk to just $1 a litre earlier this year.
And Coles director of merchandise John Durkan bore the full brunt of the anger during his brief appearance at the conference.
"To damage the farmers is not in our interest," Mr Durkan said.
But producers had a different story.
Gympie dairy farmer of more than 15 years Andrew Burnett said the price war was just another blow to an already vulnerable industry, following devastation to many businesses after the floods.
"Everyone's pretty browbeaten," he said.
Beaudesert dairy farmer Peter Bischoff echoed these sentiments.
"If we keep getting dealt these blows the fallout will bring the fresh milk industry to its knees in Queensland," he said.
