Lion milk success after packaging switch to highlight dairy farmers
Food and beverage manufacturer Lion has announced that, since switching its Dairy Farmers milk packaging in Far North Queensland to ‘Malanda Original Milk’, overall retail sales have increased by 2 per cent. This represents almost 5,000 litres of additional volume per week, and is a significant sign of support from the local community.
Lion said the initiative, launched in July 2014, was designed to recognise the farming families who supply fresh white milk for the Dairy Farmers brand. The milk for the Malanda Original Milk brand is sourced from over 50 dairy farmers across the region.
“We’re really pleased to have Malanda back where it belongs on the Dairy Farmers milk packaging,” said James Geraghty from the Dairy Farmers Milk Cooperative. “It’s something we’ve been wanting for some time and to see the community supporting it and getting behind the local industry is a good news story for dairy farmers in the region.
“Dairying is a community business. All the farmers are local, the drivers that pick the milk up are local, as are the staff at the factory in Malanda and the vendors that deliver the milk. The flow on of our spending helps support the local community,” he added.
Lion thanks community for supporting local dairy farmers
Marketing Director of Lion Dairy & Drinks, Nicola Richardson, said Lion wanted to thank the community in Far North Queensland who got behind the Dairy Farmers Malanda Original Milk brand since the pack change.
“A retail sales increase of 2 per cent represents almost 5,000 litres of additional milk sold per week, which is an outstanding result in a highly competitive category like white milk,” Ms Richardson said.
Milk price increase for farmers
Lion said its new-look packaging came on top of a record milk price increase of 5 cents per litre Lion introduced for Dairy Farmers Milk Cooperative suppliers in Far North Queensland. This increase took Lion’s weighted milk price in Far North Queensland to 59.3cpl, which will deliver an estimated increase of $2.5 million this year in farmgate payments across the Malanda dairy region.
“We want to thank the local community, who are supporting Far North Queensland farmers by buying Dairy Farmers Malanda Original Milk. With your support, we will ensure that the local dairy industry has a bright future, and that consumers from Cape York to Mt Isa and down to Mackay can continue to enjoy the goodness of fresh, local milk every day,” Ms Richardson concluded.
Retailers also highlighting farmers behind milk
The success of Lion’s farmer-branded milk follows in the footsteps of a similar venture by supermarket giant Woolworths, which has seen its Farmers’ Own milk brand, with milk sourced from the area it is sold, become an “enormous success”. Australian Food News reported earlier in October 2014 that Woolworths was expanding the Farmers’ Own milk brand into Western Australia.
