by admin | Nov 28, 2014 | Media Release
MEDIA RELEASE DAIRY FACTORY WILL CLOSE IF FOREIGN BUY UP GOES AHEAD ONE of south-west Victoria’s four dairy factories will close and a quarter of the district’s dairy industry jobs will be lost if the Chinese government’s plans to buy up our prime agricultural land go ahead, says Vote 1 Local Jobs founder James Purcell. Linear Capital, an investment company with links to the Chinese Government, is planning to buy dozens of south-west dairy farms. Mr Purcell said it is understood the proposal involves an entire controlled production line that would see hundreds of millions of dollars of infant milk formula sent straight to China. “The 50 south-west dairy farms Linear Capital is planning to purchase contribute 500 million litres of milk per year, a quarter of the south-west’s annual milk supply,” Mr Purcell said. “The direct export plans we understand the proposal involves, will see the milk product directly removed from our economy. “Due to the model they are proposing there will be very little benefit to south-west Victoria, or Australia as a whole. “The whole production line, from the farm to the international customer, could be totally invisible to us.” Mr Purcell said the proposal was deeply concerning for the south-west’s economy, future jobs and the status of our agricultural sector. “If you take out a quarter of our product and a quarter of our income, a quarter of our jobs will also go. “We have four dairy factories locally. Take away 25% of our milk and one of our dairy factories will be without product. “This is hugely concerning for south-west Victoria.” Vote 1 Local Jobs...
