24 Nov 2011

Federated Farmers asks to remove limit on raw milk sales

1:06 pm on 24 November 2011

Federated Farmers says the country's dairy farmers should be able to sell as much raw milk as they want to and is calling for the limit on sales to be axed.

The call is contained in its submission to the Government, which is reviewing farm gate sales of raw drinking milk.

The law as it currently stands lets farmers sell a maximum of five litres a day per customer, up to 120 litres, but they have to have a risk management plan.

The Ministry of Agriculture wants farmers to be exempt from such a plan and Federated Farmers says that's its preferred option too.

Federated Farmers dairy chair Willy Leferink says the plan makes selling raw milk too expensive and a more simple paper trail would be appropriate.

He says the federation will also push to get rid of the cap on sales.