Goulburn Valley Creamery chief executive Mancel Hickey says local farmers have been going through a hard period in the past 10 years with droughts, high prices and water shortages.
“By setting a strong, sustainable milk price we are committing our support to ensure they get through these headwinds in a good position and can thrive,” he said.
Mr Hickey says dairy is a shrinking market in northern Victoria and that’s why Goulburn Valley Creamery is providing a very competitive milk price.
“We are small compared to the major players in the market but we are very niche,” he said.
“We are very lean on manufacturing in Kyabram but we have found niche markets overseas for our products.”
Goulburn Valley Creamery processes approximately 100 million litres of milk per year from regional farmers to make its products, which are exported globally.
Mr Hickey says there are ever-increasing demands for Goulburn Valley Creamery’s products from overseas.
“The demand is definitely there,” he said.
“We are going out to local farmers so they have direct communications with the people running the business.
“I think that’s been missing a lot lately in business, that hands-on approach.”
Goulburn Valley Creamery dairy field services officer Jeff Shannon says relationships with farmers are key to its business.
“I think farmers appreciate competition and having someone who comes out to listen to them,” he said.
“They really do like the fact they have direct access to any one of us any time.
“You have to build a relationship with the farmers because without them we don’t have a business.”
Goulburn Valley Creamery is actively looking for farmers big and small.
“We want to support the Goulburn Valley and the Kyabram area as well,” Mr Hickey said.
The company actively sponsors organisations such as the Kyabram Football Netball Club, golf clubs and local schools.
Goulburn Valley Creamery only recently entered the Kyabram area, buying the old IXL factory from SPC in 2019.
Mr Hickey says building work commenced on the new dairy facility in March 2020, which was completed in October that year, and work has started on the next phase of development of the plant.
