Its a great reality check to sometimes be WRONG (y) Even more critical to be proactive...rather than reactive. Well - always working on that - maybe reacting is still ok...as long as the delay is not excessive :O I have been strongly arguing the case that we must support independent retailers - yet with 164 stockists...4REAL MILK sales are in decline. I have been promoting the LOW FOOD MILES argument, yet almost 4 Million people within our 2 hour catchment are unable to consume 5,000L of 4REAL MILK on a daily basis. My extreme dissappointment was expressed last week, on this page - at the prospect of exporting high quality milk from Queensland to Asia...when we currently have a 150 Million litre deficit in meeting our own domestic requirement. It really does look like this very tough lesson has yet to be learned. Our milk shortage is not yet big enough to hit home. This situation does not feel real enough to the wider community to create effective change to spending habits. We, the dairy farmers of QLD are literally out of time. If export markets will keep our family farms alive to fight another day...then export it must be. For some, that may be in the formation of co-operatives. I know some of our large processors, like Norco are already pursuing international leads - and good luck to them, if it is for the benefit of their supply group, lifting the price paid to the dairy farmers. Our situation at 4REAL MILK is a little different - but one thing becoming increasingly obvious is that the low food miles into independent retailers is not proving sustainable. No level of desire on my behalf is going to change that reality. I am not that persuasive or powerful. Only consumer spending habits - which I am proving to have little impact on, can do so. It appears to me that the initial enthusiam...and novelty is wearing thin. Convenience must be now kicking back in, and the BIG 2 are innevitably winning the battle for your hard earned dollar. You know what - Im surprisingly ok with that prospect. If we as a company need to move in that direction...so be it. That is the will of the people, and we chose to enter the wonderful world of retail. Keeping the customer satisfied is our priority - Im paying close attention to the market signals...they are coming through loud and clear in the 2 weeks since our return. We will not be in a financial position to maintain the moral highground indefinitely. Our future direction really is in the hands of the community. We will adjust the sails to ensure our survival....for if we dont - all that I have done would be in vain. Cheers, Farmer Gregie ;)
Posted on: Tue, 11 Mar 2014 11:43:11 +0000