Fuel costs and storms force closure of Bella Vacca Jerseys in Northland

Jody Hansen and Gav Hogarth have put Bella Vacca Jerseys on the market because of increasing pressures, including soaring fuel prices caused by global uncertainty. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Popular Northland milk producer Bella Vacca Jerseys has permanently closed its farm gates because of soaring fuel prices, bad weather and global uncertainty.

After 10 years of producing and delivering pasteurised full-cream milk in reusable glass bottles from their farm near Moerewa, Gav Hogarth and Jody Hansen have put the business on the market.

Last week, the final bottles of the company’s fresh milk were delivered to customers, including 90 shops, cafes and businesses across Northland and dozens of homes in Auckland.

Hogarth said they’ll miss their customers as much as their customers will miss them.

“We’ve had a van full of chocolate and wine over the last week [from customers].

“It’s quite tough in a way, I’m going to miss it.

“Some people you become friends with that you talk to each week, but we’ll keep in contact with them.”

Hogarth and Hansen established Bella Vacca Jerseys in 2016 with a herd of pedigree Jersey cows and a dream to share Northland’s best milk with consumers.

They began selling pasteurised premium Jersey milk and evolved during Covid to include cream, trim milk, natural yoghurt, meat, eggs and honey.

In 2021, Hansen’s son Cam and his partner Amy joined as sharemilkers.

Hogarth said selling the family-run business was a “very hard call”.

However, distribution costs had soared in the past six weeks with fuel costs more than double what they were eight weeks ago, he said.

“To fill the van and the truck it used to cost $90 each vehicle – now it’s $240.

“You can go through a tank every day ... that’s a lot of money you’re not making anymore.”

Northland’s wet summer and stormy autumn also contributed to the decision.

“It’s been pretty bloody wet lately,” Hogarth said.

“We’ve had a wet summer then three storms [including Cyclone Vaianu] within four weeks.

“The paddocks can’t drain and the grass dies from being underwater that long.

“This makes it too hard to continue milking through the winter.”

Gav Hogarth, pictured with Daisy, says the sale of the business includes the milk processing plant but not the cows or the land.

The couple also needed to expand to meet demand.

With the 90-year-old earth return power line unable to provide more power, “to increase production ... we would have to shift the factory off the farm”.

“Now is not the time to expand,” Hogarth said.

“To keep going we would have had to find more milk and somewhere else to process it... it’s not the time to be doing it, not where the economy is sitting and looks like it’s heading.”

Hogarth said the sale of the business includes the milk processing plant but not the cows or land.

He’s unsure what he and Hansen will do next.

“It’s a matter of finding the right person with the money to buy it.

“That could happen tomorrow or in six months.”

Last month, Juken New Zealand announced it was looking to sell, also citing market pressures and rising operating costs as challenges affecting operations at the Northland Mill and Triboard plant in Kaitāia.

The Far North District Council, Northland Regional Council and Northland Inc are encouraging investor interest with expressions of interest open until late May.

Jenny Ling is a senior journalist at the Northern Advocate. She has a special interest in covering human interest stories, along with finance, roading, and social issues.