Letter sent out

Spar now turns to the farmers in the milk dispute

The food retailer is now defending itself in a letter (see excerpt above) to the farmers.(Bild: APA/EVA MANHART / APA / picturedesk.com, zVg)

In the dispute with the NÖM dairy over higher prices, including a delivery stop, the food retailer is now countering with an open letter to the farmers. 

Since the beginning of last week, the NÖM dairy has reportedly stopped delivering products to Spar stores. The reason is that the retail chain has not accepted a demanded increase in purchase prices by a rumored double-digit percentage.

Spar defends itself with an open letter
Lower Austrian dairy farmers, who own 35 percent of NÖM (the rest is owned by Raiffeisen Holding NÖ-Wien), point to massive cost increases, and the Nö. Bauernbund is considering legal action against Spar. The Salzburg food retailer is now defending itself in a letter to the farmers.

The company is committed to the 22,000 local dairy farmers and has hundreds of their products in its range, including those from small local producers. In some cases, dairy products that were previously produced abroad are now produced in Austria. One example is the range of lactose-free dairy products, says Spar spokeswoman Nicole Berkmann. Recently, a new drinkable meal was developed together with a domestic dairy in order to create a sales market for skimmed milk, Spar argues.

However, the general price increases demanded are not comprehensible. In justified cases, such as butter, there have already been two upward adjustments, emphasizes Berkmann.