FrieslandCampina Belgium puts the farmer in front of the block

About 140 Belgian dairy farmers who supply FrieslandCampina are faced with a difficult choice. Either they support the new contract requirements, which means that grazing will become an obligation, or they are looking for another milk processor. However, according to the producer organization there are hardly any.

In Belgium FrieslandCampina has about 400 dairy farmers, most of whom are not members. FrieslandCampina informed them last spring that the dairy cooperative will focus on outdoor grazing and A-quality milk in the coming years. If you want to continue to supply, you must contractually support the new conditions.

The majority is already sufficient
Sarah de Meester, spokesperson for FrieslandCampina in Belgium, does not have the impression that the new contract requirements are too much. "A large part already meets the conditions." According to the spokesperson, an information session was held on 10 September, during which the dairy farmers received text and explanations. "We will guide dairy farmers who do not yet meet the new conditions to take the right steps."

In Belgian Felt Hans de Ruyter, chairman of producer organization PO Dairycam, says that meeting the new conditions is not an easy task. According to De Ruyter, approximately 140 dairy farmers do not meet FrieslandCampina's new conditions. The chairman is disturbed that the producer organization was not involved in drawing up the new conditions. According to De Meester, that was indeed the case.

Free choice
According to De Meester, Belgian dairy farmers are faced with a free choice. "Either they leave, or they stay under the new terms." According to De Ruyter, dairy farmers cannot easily ignore FrieslandCampina's requirements, because there are few alternative buyers. De Ruyter knows that only Milcobel is looking for extra liters of milk. Since Milcobel is a cooperative, they ask for a financial contribution from the members. That doesn't make a switch any easier. 

Wouter Job

Wouter Baan is editor-in-chief of Boerenbusiness. He also focuses on dairy, pig and meat markets. He also follows (business) developments within agribusiness and interviews CEOs and policymakers.

w.baan@boerenbusiness. Nl

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