Milking the local market: shaking up the NSW south coast dairy industry

John Fairley of Country Valley milk in Picton, NSW, launched a new Jamberoo Valley milk label under the umbrella of his company. Photograph: John Ellicott/The Guardian

Inland from the pretty New South Wales seaside town of Kiama, Jamberoo Valley has had a remarkably wet year, with nearly 900mm of rain in a single month.

The weather conditions added to a range of long-term factors that have put the future of the area’s dairy farmers in doubt, forcing a cut in production that has pushed prices up to 25 cents more to their customers.