Fiji Cooperative Dairy Company Limited’s Chairman Simon Cole says dairy farmers continue to suffer as a result of loss of cattle due to tuberculosis and the Fijian and New Zealand governments with Fiji Cooperative Dairy Company Limited are working on a package for dairy farmers to resolve the issue.
Cole says the negotiations are ongoing and further details about the package will not be revealed.
Cole confirms that about 35 percent of the total cows have been slaughtered because of tuberculosis and this devastating for the Dairy Industry.
He says the government is also putting up a compensation package for the farmers but it is not producing any extra milk.
Fiji Cooperative Dairy Company Limited had confirmed last year that they are trying to increase local milk production to around 10 million litres in a year.
Currently, local dairy farmers are supplying around seven million litres of milk annually for local consumption.
262 dairy farmers supply milk under the Fiji Cooperative Dairy Company Limited while there over 100 other dairy farmers who conduct their operations themselves.
Dairy farmers are currently paid 92 cents a litre for premium quality of milk, 78.9 cents a litre for first grade milk and 65.87 cents a litre for second grade milk.
