The farmer watchdog protecting 13,030 suppliers to the Fonterra Co-operative Group today demanded action from the company to sort out problems with tankers not turning up to collect milk.
Fonterra Shareholders' Council chairman Tony O'Boyle said farmers were concerned over inadequate documentation of the milk collected and feedback on the milk's
quality.
The collection system is part of a new $3 million milk management and shareholder services system called Aspire, built by the Jade software company.
Farmers are unhappy about the daily docket they receive when their milk is collected, containing production, grading and milk quality information.
"The level of service to a significant portion of the shareholder base is unacceptable," Mr O'Boyle said.
He called on Fonterra chairman John Roadley to explain why assurances given to shareholders by the company's chief executive, Craig Norgate and himself, at last week's special general meeting of the company had not yet been delivered.
With the new season's milk production starting to flow, Mr O'Boyle said desperate shareholders were ringing their councillors demanding action.
"The problems being experienced lie at the very core of why farmers choose to supply a co-operative."
Mr O'Boyle said he had telephoned Mr Roadley to "further voice the council's frustrations".
He said the council had been given assurances last Friday that the problems had been identified and all efforts were being made to resolve them.
"A week later and the problems are still occurring," he said.
"We are now beyond accepting assurances".
The issues ranged from:
* Significant delays in milk grade notification;
* Illegibility of tanker dockets; or,
* Tanker dockets not being left at all;
* Tankers not arriving to collect milk for the first day of pick-up; or
* Tankers picking up on day one and not coming again;
"The real concern is the sheer diversity of the problems and the impact they are having on farmers," Mr O'Boyle said.
- NZPA
