35% of contract milkers are worse off than employees
Sharemilkers locked into litigation have no agency to turn to, and disputes can run for up to 18 months.
|October 27, 2026Listen to the full interview:
This episode featured as part of the Agribusiness segment in partnership with BNZ.
The Sharemilking Act needs three changes to bring it up to date, from dispute support to cover for herd-owning sharemilkers.
Share Farming and Farm Systems Consultants managing director and co-founder Louise Gibson says the Act also needs to support the profitability of the businesses it affects.
“The dispute management needs more agency support, much more like it was probably back in 1937,” she says.
She says herd-owning sharemilkers locked into litigation find even small things hard to deal with. Disputes can run for a year to 18 months with no outcome.
“There is no support. There is no agency to access support from.”
She says 35% of contract milkers over the past four years would have been better off as employees.
This episode featured as part of the Agribusiness segment in partnership with BNZ.
This podcast is solely for information purposes. It’s not financial or other professional advice. No party, including BNZ, is liable for direct or indirect loss or damage resulting from the content of this podcast.
Watch the full interview:
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