Co-operation versus investor returns – The future of dairy farming in Australia

26 November 2013

Winthrop Professor Tim Mazzarol from the University of Western Australia has written an editorial piece on the future of Australia’s dairy industry at The Conversation.

“The battle is heating up between Australia’s Murray Goulburn Co-operative, Bega Cheese Ltd and Canada’s Saputo Inc. over the acquisition of Warrnambool Cheese and Butter Factory Ltd (WCB). Much of the discussion around who will end up buying WCB has focused on share price and investor returns, but there are much deeper issues at stake. These relate to the tensions between long term collective ownership of dairy supply chains by Australian farmers and the short term gains of shareholders. How this battle unfolds may decide the future of farmer control over Australia’s dairy industry.”

Read the full piece The Conversation, Cooperation versus investor returns – the future of dairy farming in Australia, 24 Nov