The Berchtesgadener Land dairy’s general assembly looks at economics
Image: Berchtesgadener Land
The Berchtesgadener Land dairy’s general assembly focused on the very difficult overall economic situation, which began two years ago with the Covid pandemic and has been overtaken by the drastic effects of the Ukraine war since spring. Energy, packaging, machines, spare parts and raw material prices are increasing, among other things. All speakers said the resulting price increases affect consumers, farmers and the dairy as a commercial enterprise equally.
Prices for butter and milk from the dairy should not increase to levels that deprive long-standing regular customers of the opportunity to buy ‘their’ milk and butter.
“It is important to us that customers, who have been buying our products for decades, can continue to do so. Because of our values such as fairness and sustainability, many choose our products and have spent more money to do so. We do not want regular customers to have to do without it for purely financial reasons. For us, fairness also applies to our customers,” underlines managing director Bernhard Pointer.
As a co–operative, a fair milk payment price for farmers is the basic goal. The fact that Berchtesgadener Land dairy has been at the top of the milk price table for years, is due to the trust of the customers, notes CEO Andrea Argstatter.
The dairy was again above the Bavarian average for the 2021 milk price and once again took first place in Germany and Austria for conventional milk. Unfortunately, this position will not be maintained in the current year, as chairman of the supervisory board Anton Berger made clear: “It is more important to pay a constantly high milk price than a short-term high milk price,” he said at the general assembly. This is the only way to make long-term calculations on the farms.
Pointner announced a further increase in the milk price for the current year, which has been gradually increased by €0.04 ($0.04) since 2021. The managing director also says, “We will not lead the dairy out of this crisis safely by paying the highest milk prices alone: the dairy needs the farmers as the most important suppliers of raw materials, but also the customers for the purchase of our branded products. And one thing is clear: we only have a chance, if both remain loyal to the co–operative. Each of us is paying for this war and no profession, no individual will be spared.”