A dairy farmer has claimed that a number of big Australian supermarkets – including Coles, Woolworths, ALDI and IGA – paid him a painfully low wage for a full month’s worth of delivering dairy products.
In a saddening Facebook video post, NSW farmer Shane Hickey said that he was paid the equivalent of $2.46 per hour for the entire month of July.
‘I’m a proud dairy farmer and I work very hard,’ he said, choking back tears in an emotional video posted online.
‘Something’s got to change. People can’t expect farmers to continually work for nothing. It’s basically slavery.’
Woolworths told Daily Mail Australia that the price a dairy farmer receives for milk – known as the farm gate price – is set by dairy processors not supermarkets.
‘We know there are many Australian farmers doing it tough with the drought and that’s why we’ve been working closely with Rural Aid to ensure more support can be provided to those impacted,’ a Woolworths spokesperson said.
A Coles spokesperson refused to comment on Mr Hickey’s specific claims, but directed Daily Mail Australia to a watchdog report which also indicated dairy processors set their exchange rates.
Daily Mail Australia has also reached out to ALDI and IGA for comment.
Mr Hickey added that production at his farm is down 50 per cent compared to the same period last year thanks to the drought, and questioned where big supermarkets would get their products from if it continued.
‘Water is disappearing quickly and is most likely going to be in restrictions in a very short period of time – it’s looking rough,’ he said.
A dairy farmer has claimed that big Australian supermarkets – including Coles, Woolies, ALDI and IGA – paid him a painfully low amount for a full month’s worth of delivering dairy products
‘So thanks Coles and Woolies, $2.46 an hour – you pay your staff more than that.’
Mr Hickey said he has a mortgage and three children to look after as well as running his farming business.
‘I’m not irrigating at the moment because my irrigator’s broken and I have to work within a budget, but there’s no money in the budget so I’ve just got to try and do it myself,’ he said.
The video prompted fierce discussion in the comments with some calling the situation ‘disgraceful’ and ‘appalling’ and many asking what they, as shoppers, could do to help support dairy farmers like Shane.
‘Thanks Coles and Woolies – you pay your staff more than that,’ dairy farmer Shane Hickey said