Dairy Workers

New full-year targets for 2012 confirmed are as follows:

Arla will reduce the standard litre price by 2ppl with effect from 1 August.

Arla Foods has implemented the largest cut yet of three other major UK milk processors in the last week to have reduced their farmgate milk prices.

In the latest round of price-cutting, Arla said in a letter to its members this week it will reduce the standard litre price by 2ppl with effect from 1 August, resulting in a 7.5% cut to 24.5 pence.

Women dairy workers in cooperative dairies in the southern state of Kartnataka, India, have won improved maternity protection, including increased paid maternity leave from 135 to 180 days.

BAMUL Employees Union, a member of the IUF-affiliated Dairy Employees Federation of India (DEFOI), responded to changes in public sector regulations on maternity protection by demanding that the management of cooperative dairies introduce the same rights and benefits for dairy workers. These demands were finally met with substantial improvements - including 180 days paid maternity leave.

Arla Food’s proposed mergers with UK-based co-operative Milk Link and German dairy firm Milch-Union Hocheifel (MUH) have been approved by its board of representatives.

Danone has indicated its decision to "fight" for market share in southern Europe - and in Spain in particular - is one of the primary reasons that it has lowered its margins outlook for 2012.

In a regulatory announcement on 19 June, Danone dropped its margin forecast for the financial year from "stable" to "down 50 basis points".

Speaking during a conference call with analysts, CEO Pierre-Andre Terisse said rising unemployment was hitting consumer confidence in Spain, a market that accounts for about 7% of group sales.

Arla Foods is ready with two large mergers which will all at once increase Arla's turnover by 9 billion DKK a year and will result in more than 2000 new colleagues.

Danone will look at assets Nestle may need to sell to get its baby food deal with Pfizer cleared, as the French food group is keen to expand in baby milk in Latin America, mainly Mexico, and catch up with its Swiss rival.

Danone, world No. 2 in baby food, lost out to market leader Nestle in April when it bought U.S. drugmaker Pfizer's brands for $11.85 billion and secure dominance of fast-growing emerging markets.

"It's an oasis in the desert," says the enthusiastic PR officer, and we can only agree. The view from the spray tower is overwhelming. Far below, we see milk tanker trucks on their way to the collection centre from the arid plains beyond. The Banas Dairy Cooperative is India's biggest.

The White Revolution was triggered by a milk shortage of India which forced the country to import milk. Cooperatives were formed after the Second World War, and in 1971, the Operation Flood Programme was launched. This was one of the world's biggest agricultural development programmes, operating for 26 years. Ten million farmers became members of some 73,000 dairy cooperatives.

By Gunnar Brulin and Malin Klingzell-Brulin

The advertisement in the Bangalore morning paper shows milk being poured into a brimful glass. Next to it, three smiling state ministers avow that they welcome foreign investors. For S. Prakash at the dairy union federation, this invitation came as a shock.

"I was aware the government wanted to privatise, but not that the plans were that concrete," says Prakash, and continues to translate from Hindi into English:

Danone's shareholders voted in favour of all resolutions during the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (AGM) that was held on April 26, 2012.

61,01% of Danone's outstanding total share capital was present or represented at the AGM.

Over 1,000 workers lost their jobs when nine dairy cooperatives in Uttar Pradesh - India’s biggest milk producing state - closed in early 2010. After a tough two-year fight the dairies are being forced to re-open.