Murray Goulburn’s board is coming under increased pressure this week over its big cut to its milk price with board chairman Philip Tracy facing a blocked bid of no confidence at a Heywood suppliers meeting.
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Member for South West Coast Roma Britnell, who was at MG’s meetings with suppliers in Heywood and Camperdown on Monday, said the move for a vote of no confidence in Mr Tracy did not proceed because others said the suppliers’ meeting was not an appropriate place for such a move.
Mr Tracy faced a torrent of criticism at the south-west meetings from MG suppliers who face cuts of up to 20 per cent in the milk price that the company forecast at the start of the 2015-2016 milk season.
At the Camperdown meeting, Mrs Britnell called for resignations by MG board members including that of non-farmer board member Peter Hawkins, who has been chairman of the finance, risk and audit committee since 2009.
She said other board members to go should include those “who have been there long enough to know better and should have acted earlier to alert suppliers”.
Mrs Britnell said no motions were moved at the Camperdown meeting but she had been approached by someone who wanted to pursue her call for MG board members to resign.
In other reactions to MG’s milk price cut, the state government has convened a meeting of dairy industry leaders on Thursday to discuss a coordinated response.
The meeting will discuss the outlook for Victoria's dairy sector and ensure the industry takes a coordinated approach to the price cut.
Agriculture Minister Jaala Pulford said “now is the time more than ever to look over the farmgate, check on your neighbour and support each other.”
In other developments, the Farmer Power group is meeting on Friday with the United Dairyfarmers of Victoria and Australian Dairy Farmers to discuss the problems in the dairy industry.
