Enough is enough for 8 angry Cono farmers

A group of 8 dairy farmers from Cono Kaasmakers are going to court. These farmers believe that many labour-intensive and cost-increasing measures are imposed without the involvement of higher authorities. According to these farmers, there is no real milk price in return. Wim Betten, the director of Cono, regrets the move.

The group of 8, who call themselves the critical Cono farmers, will go to court to check whether the measures, such as the VLOG obligation, have been fairly imposed. Although Cono Kaasmakers is owned by the members, the dairy farmers say they have no say. "We are no longer bosses in our own stable", is the objection. They are assisted in the process by lawyer Dinant te Biesebeek of the law firm of the same name from Zwolle.

Driven sustainability
A dairy farmer who belongs to the group says that he has had enough. According to him, new sustainability rules are always being devised under the guise of market demand (such as the VLOG feed obligation that will take effect in 2020). "Whether or not VLOG feed cannot be traced in the milk, why should we adhere to this obligation?"

The fear is that the requirements (which are currently being rewarded with supplements) will eventually serve as a basis for the milk price. "I think it is realistic that the bonuses will become fines in the future, while the milk price is already not cost-effective. This while many of these measures, which result from the program Caring Dairy ++, are impossible for an individual dairy farmer to monitor."

Departing from Cono is not an option for the dairy farmer, partly because there is hardly any delivery space at other dairies. Moreover, the dairy farmers are noticing the excessive urge for sustainability not only at Cono, but also at other processors. "In the past, Dutch agriculture was the champion of cost control, but we have to be careful not to price ourselves out of the market."

'We encourage, we do not oblige'
Betten says she regrets the lawsuit. "The conflict has been going on for a while, but unfortunately we did not resolve it together. We offered 'mediation', but it was rejected." According to the director, Cono focuses on sustainability, animal welfare and non-GMO, because the market demands it. "Of course we encourage our members to participate, but it is not mandatory," assures Betten. “Most of the 450 Cono farmers understand this and are on board.”

The fear that bonuses will become discounts in the future is not justified, according to him. "That is not the case at the moment." It is possible, however, that dairy farmers who do not participate in the vlog feed obligation may have to make a personal contribution, because milk has to be collected separately. The criticism that the milk price from Cono would be too low, according to Betten not justified. "Relatively speaking, we are doing well and that is thanks to our distinctive cheeses."

Chance of succeeding? 
Te Biesebeek sends the summons out at the end of October. The lawyer estimates that the procedure can take 1 to 2 years. He thinks the dairy farmers have a good chance of getting the judge right. Betten in turn thinks that Cono cannot be blamed on the basis of the articles of association, delivery conditions and the household regulations.

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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