After 80 years of dairying, no-one wants this farm's milk.

In Queensland, a 80-year-old dairy farmer is in turmoil as his milk supplier, Maleny Dairies, has decided to terminate their contract. Jason Rozynski, who owns a herd of 600 Brown Swiss cows, fears his family farm may soon be forced to cull its prized cattle. The family's dairy operation, located near Imbil in the Mary Valley, produces approximately 3.3 million litres of milk annually.

Maleny Dairies informed Rozynski in June that their contract would not be renewed, leaving the Rozynski family with no processor to buy their milk. The family had been in contact with several processors, but all had closed their books and had no room for additional milk. Rozynski expressed shock at the situation, stating that they have always been positive and proactive in the dairy industry.

Maleny Dairies co-owner Ross Hopper stated that the decision to end the supply relationship was a business decision, not a personal one. He did not intend for the termination to negatively impact other farmers, but rather to address excess milk production in the state. The Queensland Dairy Plan, launched six months ago, aimed to increase milk production by 5%, but unstable processing capacity threatens to undermine these efforts.

Rozynski's family was featured at the launch of the new Dairy Plan, but none of the participating processors have agreed to buy their milk. The oversupply of milk in Queensland, with about half of the state's consumption coming from interstate, exacerbates the issue. Norco, one of the processors, has increased its milk volume but now faces challenges in managing excess supply.

Woolworths, which purchases milk directly from Queensland farms, is also contributing to the chaos by phasing out its Farmers Own brand, created in partnership with three Queensland farms and five New South Wales farms. The company is consulting affected farmers about the contract expiry and will honor their terms with an option to extend for an additional 12 months.