22 Jul 2011

Fonterra shareholders keen to see changes in raw milk regs

5:45 am on 22 July 2011

Fonterra's Shareholders Council says farmers will be pushing for changes in the raw milk regulations.

Council chair Simon Couper says Fonterra shareholders welcome the Government review of the regulations, because it's a contentious issue for them.

Under the current system, Fonterra is obliged to sell up to 600 million litres of milk per year to its competitors at a regulated price.

Mr Couper says that's upsetting to those who think the system lends itself to abuse at the hands of foreign-backed processors.

On the other hand, some independent processors are also calling for changes, because they think the regulations allow Fonterra to continue operating effectively as a monopoly.

The review will cover issues such as the amount of milk Fonterra is required to supply other processors, and who should be eligible.

It won't cover the price of milk. MAF and the Commerce Commission are investigating this separately.