Published: 26 May 2016
Author: Stringer Clark

Stand with our dairy farmers in South West Victoria

I know that everyone in Stringer Clark stands with our local dairy farmers. 

This is a plight that touches everyone in South West Victoria.

The hardship caused by having their income effectively halved and back dated to July last year is going to drive many farmers off their farms.

And the flow on effect will be felt on everyone and everywhere in our community. The local dairy processing plants and their workers. The other farmers who grow and sell grain to the industry. The shops that sell clothes, the businesses that sell cars. We will all will feel the stress.

I was lucky enough to grow up on a dairy farm in Killarney where my parents still live. It was a great life but it’s hard work. You can’t just decide to quit and move to another job or industry because you have invested so much in your farm.

All the staff at Stringer Clark are urging people in Melbourne and across Victoria to support #milkmo and get behind our dairy farmers to help alleviate their plight by buying branded milk in their shops and supermarkets. And don’t buy the cheap home brand supermarket milk. Our farmers get nothing out of it. Whereas, if you buy a local brand like Sungold Milk, something comes back them.

I practise in the area of family law at Stringer Clark. I see the impact that these types of tragedies have on people’s lives and the financial stresses they put on relationships. There will be an emotional toll taken by this milk price crisis and many people will need our support.

There is a lot that could be done to help the industry. The supermarket chains themselves have a lot to answer for. The only immediate and direct thing that most of us can do for now is buy farmer’s milk, not the supermarket’s unbranded milk. So get behind this campaign and our local diary farmers.

The staff at Stringer Clark didn't need much persuading to put down the tools in support of our local dairy farmers!

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