Woolworths to retire Farmers' Own milk line amid dairy sector concerns

Woolworths announced that its specialty Farmers' Own milk, marketed as a better deal for producers, will be discontinued in all Australian supermarkets by 2027, after already disappearing from South Australian shelves. The rollout will extend to Western Australia, Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, leaving dairy farmers worried about finding alternative buyers. Tim Bale, a northern New South Wales farmer who co-created the label in 2013, expressed disappointment, citing low profitability and a lack of shelf space with the retailer.

The company assured that current contracts will be respected and that suppliers may extend agreements for an additional year. Bale also warned that oversupply and reduced sales have left some farms without any outlet for their milk. Australian Dairy Farmers head Ben Bennett dismissed the brand as a superficial public-relations effort, urging more substantive measures to halt the industry's two-decade decline.