February 2, 2010

Fiji Dairy Company warns of closure

Fiji Broadcasting Corporation , February 01, 2010

Rewa Dairy may have to temporarily close down if local prices for their products are not increased to match the rising prices of raw materials.

Rewa Dairy Chairman, Josefa Serulagilagi, says repeated requests have been sent to the Prices and Incomes Board but have fallen on deaf ears.

Serulagilagi says they are now writing to the Prime Minister as a last resort, and if nothing happens, the Company may have to close down for a while until local prices for their products are adjusted accordingly.

"We are doing the best we can and if worse comes to worse we may just have to close down. We have never been getting our prices right and every time we ask PIB to adjust our prices they have not taken any move and we cannot be getting things at higher prices from overseas and coming to sell over here at low prices … this is just like somebody in a market .. a middle man who buys a basket of cassava for $5 and sells it for $4."

Supermarkets have been without Rewa powdered milk since last week.



2 comments:

Peter Firkin said...

In 2007 the world’s largest dairy exporter, Fonterra, ordered its farmers to stop feeding copra meal to milking cows after finding high levels of aflatoxins in their milk.

Aflatoxins entering the human food chain can cause cancer. .

Rewa Cooperative Dairy Company was made aware of this risk at the time but have made no moves to restrict the use of Copra meal in Fiji.

Fiji uses up to 25% Copra meal in the normal daily ration of its milking cows. This product is supplied by RCDC to the farmers so the Company cannot avoid responsibility.

Aflatoxins are a known cancer-causing agent, and cannot be destroyed through processing, including pasteurization.

RCDC needs to immediately inform the public of what steps have been taken to avoid Rewa Milk causing cancer. Have any tests been done by independent laboratories to assure their product is not a time bomb for public health?

Contamination by aflatoxins usually results from excessive moisture levels at some stage during harvest or storage, causing the growth of moulds that release the toxins. The high humidity in Fiji is a natural breeding ground for the toxin.

There is a significant risk to the health of the population of Fiji if Copra Meal is not banned as a dairy ration immediately.

Sai Lealea said...

Many thanks Peter for the very informative information. I will see if it could be passed on to authorities in Fiji.