The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has reported a win for consumers and King Island producers, with a Federal Court decision that has finally stopped a Victorian butcher claiming over the past four years to be selling meat described as from King Island. Hooker Meats Pty Ltd (trading as Peninsula Bulk Meats, and located on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula), had been offering meat for sale, claiming that it was sourced from King Island, which is an island in Bass Strait that... ...Read more »

The Victorian Government has claimed to be involved in a project by Bega Cheese in which its cream cheese facility at Tatura, in Australia’s troubled Goulburn Valley ‘food bowl’, will be expanded. Victorian Minister for Innovation, Services and Small Business, Ms. Louise Asher, has claimed that the Victorian Government is to be ‘joining’ Bega in the AU$7.8 million expansion of Tatura’s production supply of cream cheese. The expansion will increase production from 15, 000 tonnes to... ...Read more »

Dairy Australia’s latest forecast, released today, shows that Australia’s milk production is continuing to climb, with total output for 2011-12 forecast to be between 9.4 and 9.5 billion litres, up on last season’s total of 9.1 billion litres. Dairy Australia’s Situation and Outlook report shows that Australia’s milk production was up 3.6 per cent on last season for the six months to December 2011, at 5.6 billion litres.Dairy Australia Manager, Strategy and Knowledge Joanne Bills said... ...Read more »

A report by Rabobank’s global Food and Agribusiness and Advisory department on 3 February, 2012 has forecast strong but uneven growth in world dairy products. In the report, Rabobank stated that “the global dairy market will offer strong growth prospects in the coming five years, but the uneven spread of this market expansion and an era of elevated pricing will create as many challenges as opportunities for key players along the dairy supply chain”. Growth will be highly skewed to emerging... ...Read more »

A report on foreign investment in Australia from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) has found that foreign firms accounted for ownership of about half of the nation’s dairy, sugar and red meat sectors. The report, commissioned by the Australian Government’s Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC), also says that current foreign ownership of agricultural land, business and water entitlements in Australia is comparable... ...Read more »

Australian ASX-listed company Warrnambool Cheese and Butter (WBC) today announced the signing of a five year deal to supply dairy products to Coles Supermarkets under a new consumer brand. The new brand, called ‘Great Ocean Road’, will be sold exclusively through Coles stores across Australian and includes a range of cheddar cheeses and fresh milk products. In a statement released today, WCB said it will work with Coles to formalise the agreement into a contract. Under the supply contract,... ...Read more »

A Brisbane-based start-up food technology company says it has developed the world’s first non-fermented, multi-strain probiotic milk and juice and is ready to introduce it to the market. The company, Progel, used a AU$250,000 Commercialisation Australia grant to commercialise an encapsulation technology developed by Professor Bhesh Bhandari at University of Queensland‘s School of Agriculture and Food Sciences. Progel says the technology will also enable the creation of omega-3 milk and juice... ...Read more »

Coles Supermarket Group has issued guidelines to the buyers that it employs on ways to avoid engaging in conduct that might be considered ‘unconscionable’ in dealings when negotiating prices with suppliers to Coles. The supermarket chain has sent a document to all of its buyers offering examples of unconscionable behavior and negotiating practices that might be said to infringe the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Act 2010. This legislation is enforceable by the Australian Competition... ...Read more »

Two Australian food companies have been honoured for export achievements at the 49th Australian Export Awards. The Australian Export Awards, co-presented by the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is one of Australia’s oldest business award programs. Victoria-based dairy company, Longwarry Food Park, won the Agribusiness Award. Longwarry Food Park exports milk powders and dairy-based products to Asia, Africa and the Middle East and has increased... ...Read more »

Researchers from the State of Victoria’s Department of Primary Industries (DPI) have discovered an eco-friendly way to use the by-products of winemaking to improve the quality and quantity of milk production. Scientists at the DPI’s Centre for Dairy Excellence, at Ellinbank, found that supplementing the cows’ feed with the stems, seeds and skins from wine grapes reduced their emissions by 20 per cent, increased milk production by five per cent and increased the healthy fatty acids in their... ...Read more »