As the number of Queensland dairy farmers dips towards 280, one independent processor is bucking the trend, to risk taking on milk from another two farms.
Maleny Dairies has gambled on its customer's commitment to pay a premium for its award-winning milk, promising to pass it on and keep their 13 suppliers in business.
It is the first time the family-owned company has sourced milk outside the Sunshine Coast, from the Darling Downs and Lockyer Valley.
Maleny Dairies owner Ross Hopper said he hoped to repay customer support by showing people that buying their milk can directly support local farmers.
"If we go and save some farms in other areas that were likely going to pull the pin, hopefully, we'll turn that around and make a difference for them," Mr Hopper said.
"We'll monitor how much milk we're supplying into those regions and if we get more sales, it will justify taking on more farms."
Opportunities open up
Hit hard by drought, Bruanna Dairies at Pilton, between Toowoomba and Warwick has been on the market for two years.
But the new, year-long deal with Maleny Dairies, has given hope to a fifth-generation dairy farmer, 29-year-old Frances Hayden.
"It gives me the opportunity and my partner to come on and lease the farm, or share farm the farm, off mum and dad in the next 12 months — that's the plan," Ms Hayden said.
"I really enjoy dairy farming. It's a challenge every day. It's in the blood. It's deep in the blood."
Under a confidentiality agreement, her father Brendan was not willing to reveal how much French-owned Lactalis (Pauls) had previously paid them for their milk but thanked the major processor, for releasing them from their contract.
"The costs are through the roof, we're an irrigation farm, and we have 120 milkers at the moment, we should be milking 150–180," Mr Hayden said.
"It doesn't matter who you supply, whether it's Norco, Lactalis, Maleny Dairies — whoever — we have to get a fair price. Otherwise the industry will not survive.
"The other beauty is Maleny Dairies is a Queensland-owned company."
More farms likely
Maleny Dairies general manager, Peter Falcongreen, said it had a social contract with the public to pay as much as they can to local farmers and averaged around 77 cents a litre last month.
"There's no reason we can't get sales of 40,000 litres of milk a week in Toowoomba, based on their population," he said.
"We could pick up another two or three farms, and as soon as we crack say 20,000 litres a week, we will take on another farm."
Mr Hopper said he could not thank customers enough after business picked up and stayed up, when they lost a bid to supply milk to Queensland Health's Metro North district, to Lactalis.
"It's amazing, and our farmers are just so appreciative of the support they've got from the locals, that they've been able to keep farming."
"One farmer was so excited to tell me he'd just ordered a new tractor — things they've been missing out on for a while. They need new equipment, but they haven't been able to afford it for the last couple of years."
Kenilworth Dairies' expansion
Meantime, one month after Kenilworth Dairies launched its first bottled milk, owner John Cochrane said he was proud to see it displayed on independent supermarket shelves close to the coast.
The Cochrane's three family farms are currently supplying the cheese and milk factory with plans to take on another two farms.
"We want to be sure that we've got it exactly right before we go silly volumes and each day we're getting better and quicker and more efficient understanding what has to happen so no, it's great," Mr Cochrane said.
He estimated he had invested around a $1 million on top of a $250,000 grant from the Queensland Government towards the new bottling line.
