Rising cost of dairy reminder that without farmers there's no 'bread and butter'

‍“It is bad news for dairy farmers with the Global Dairy Trade index (GDT) recording its fourth consecutive decrease today. The 4.7% decrease is significant and adds further pressure to Kiwi farmers already burdened with increased costs and regulations,” Groundswell NZ spokesperson Bryce McKenzie says.

“Whole milk powder fell by 5.2% alone and skim milk powder by 2.5% with butter falling by 3.3%".

“There are a lot of global factors at play, but our Government needs to recognise that the deluge of policies, regulations, and legislation they have imposed on the sector is making a challenging situation frankly unbearable. We will see more dairy farmers exiting the industry if this keeps up.

“Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has repeatedly stated that he is focusing on New Zealand’s ‘bread and butter issues’ and it is high time he remembered that without farmers there is no bread and butter.

“New Zealanders will not see meaningful changes to the rapidly rising cost of food until Hipkins and his Government alleviate the cost burden they are responsible for at the start of the food production chain. If they don’t act soon rural communities will suffer more than they already are, prices will continue to rise, and New Zealanders as a whole will be worse off.”