NEGOTIATIONS are continuing to try and find a way of keeping three of WA's best dairy farmers in business as they attempt to dry out cows during a last-minute two-week reprieve.
In a deal stitched together by WAFarmers' dairy council, headed by farmer Michael Partridge, an anonymous third party has asked processor Harvey Fresh to collect milk from the three - Graham Manning and Dale Hanks, Harvey, and Tony Ferraro, Wagerup.
It is understood the milk, about 25,000 litres a day, is being processed by Harvey Fresh into UHT (ultra high temperature) and ESL (extended shelf life) product for the third party and is destined to be a part of an export project trial.
The third party is understood to have some previous experience in the dairy industry and, as a spokesperson for a section of the dairy industry put it, "is not a fly-by-night entrepreneur looking to capitalise on the misfortune of others".
The farmers' milk is being collected daily for two weeks from last Sunday.
Further collections after that will depend on the success of the export trial and whether current negotiations between WAFarmers, Department of Agriculture and Food WA (DAFWA), State and Federal government representatives and others can achieve a workable outcome.
It is understood new Agriculture and Food Minister Mark Lewis was lobbied by WAFarmers' representatives on at least two occasions when he attended functions last week and, while not yet directly involved in negotiations, is across the issue and being informed of any developments.
His predecessor Dean Nalder was criticised for not showing more interest in the fate of the three who were dropped as suppliers by Brownes Dairy on Friday last week at the end of two-year special-price contracts they signed with a previous Brownes' managing director.
Current managing director Tony Girgis rejected a two-year contract extension option and potential 2 cents/litre farmgate price rise for the three and declined to offer them any other contracts.
After regular Friday morning milk pick-ups, Brownes put on a late extra tanker Friday evening to collect the afternoon milk from the three, who at that stage did not know if Saturday's milk would be collected by anybody or whether they would have to tip it out.
The farmers confirmed they were contacted by WAFarmers on Saturday afternoon and told Harvey Fresh would collect their milk for two weeks, starting Sunday morning.
They said all they had been told was their milk would be processed into UHT and ESL for a third party and would probably "go overseas".
They said they had been told they would be paid "something" for their milk and if the project worked out they could eventually be offered contracts.
"We got a text after the grand final on Saturday, while we were milking, to say that Harvey Fresh would be picking up our milk between 8 and 10 Sunday morning," multiple milk quality award-winning fifth generation dairy farmer Mr Manning said.
"All we know is that it has been organised by WAFarmers' dairy council and that our milk will be going into UHT and maybe oversees," he said.
"It's given us a bit more time to dry our cows out, the EPA (Environment Protection Authority) is very keen that milk isn't tipped out into the drains and gets into the waterways.
"I've got to make sure I do the right thing because I don't want to see the whole dairy industry damaged.
"At this stage, my milk is going to Harvey Fresh rather than into my effluent pond and being put through a sprinkler over the sand country, which is what we do at this time of the year.
"We've been told that if there's a development then we might be offered contracts, but we won't know that for 10 day or more, so we'll see what happens.
"At the moment, Brownes have terminated my contract, I'm going out of business - I've got no choice - so I've got two weeks to dry my cows out.
"We've taken 20 that were producing under 25 litres out of the (milking) herd and another 42 that were producing between 25 and 28 litres are coming out and there's another 42 after that to come out - we're trying to take three runs (in the milking shed) off at a time.
"We've still had 290 going through the shed this morning, but I should have that down to 100 before the two weeks runs out.
"I'm trying to dry them out and hang onto as many as I can at this stage, in case something develops - they're good cows and they've been good to me."
Mr Manning, who was told in April Brownes did not want his milk beyond September 30, was critical of the six-month's notice when cow gestation is just over nine months.
"Brownes told us six months ago they weren't going to take our milk - that was too late, my cows were all pregnant by that stage.
"If they had told us nine months ago we could have done something about it.
"But now I'm getting six calves (born) a day and that's going to continue for the next two and a half months," he said.
Mr Hanks confirmed the three had been given an indicative price for their milk but had nothing in writing.
"We've been told we'll get something for it, but its only about half of what it should be for spring milk," said Mr Hanks, an innovative former chairman of Western Dairy, the local arm of industry peak body Dairy Australia.
"Hopefully it will all come together because we're going to have to make some hard decisions this week."
A spokesman for Harvey Fresh declined to name the third party the milk was being processed for.
"We're helping out a third party who at this stage doesn't want their name known," the spokesman said.
He said Harvey Fresh had the processing capacity to handle the extra milk.
"It's fairly common knowledge WA processors have excess stainless steel," he said.
Harvey Fresh also processes WAFarmers First full cream and hilo milk, sold through Coles supermarkets, for WAfarmers.
WAFarmers chief executive officer Stephen Brown confirmed negotiations were continuing to try to find a long-term sustainable solution to the surplus milk problem in WA.
"Everybody is still in the game - us, DAFWA, State and Federal governments, we're all still working on it," Mr Brown said.
He said he was pleased new minister Mr Lewis was maintaining a close watch on the situation and as a result he believed the State government had "gained some traction" with the industry.
A DAFWA spokesperson said the three farmers had been "offered access to independent veterinarians, specialised in dairy production, to provide veterinary support and advice in decisions they may make such as drying off the cows from milk production".
The spokesperson said DAFWA was simply trying to help in a difficult situation and acknowledged the three farmers "are committed to animal welfare and very experienced in these matters".
Two of the three farmers were angered by phone calls on Thursday last week from an officer from DAFWA's livestock compliance division enquiring about animal welfare issues in relation to drying out their herds and selling pregnant cows for slaughter.
* A PETITION containing 38,089 signatures calling on Brownes Dairy to reverse its decision to drop three dairy farmer suppliers was delivered last week.
Wayne Hanks, brother of one of the three dairy farmers Dale Hanks, delivered the petition signatures, raised online in just six days, to Brownes' Balcatta factory on Thursday but was unable to see managing director Tony Girgis who was away ill.
"Unfortunately Brownes are in the situation of having a restricted market place and a huge oversupply of milk," Mr Hanks said after delivering the petition.
"So whilst Brownes have been trying to find a solution, they are not in a position to renew the contracts.
"I would like to thank Natalie from Brownes for taking time out of her busy day to talk with me about this situation," he said.