NÖM AG, based in Baden, is the second largest dairy in Austria after Berglandmilch. It is owned 65 percent by Raiffeisen-Holding Niederösterreich-Wien and 35 percent by MGN, which supplies approximately 2,500 NÖM members with raw milk.
Farmers would continue to supply NÖM with raw materials, MGN managing director Gruber-Doberer said. However, the dairy was ordered not to serve the Spar supermarket chain. “If there is no agreement, the delivery stop will remain in place,” the managing director of the MGN made it clear.
In a statement on Monday, Spar indicated that NÖM had demanded a general price increase in the double-digit percentage range on the entire range under threat of an immediate delivery stop, regardless of whether this was understandable and therefore justified. for the respective product. This was not accepted in the interest of Austrian consumers.
Negotiations will only take place with representatives of NÖM AG, Spar emphasized. It has been proven that prices for animal feed, such as corn, sugar, energy and various raw materials, such as packaging material, have fallen recently. “Therefore, for the sake of domestic consumers, we cannot accept a general, undifferentiated and incomprehensible price increase on the entire NÖM range.” In the case of selected products, such as butter, “whose price increase was understandable, we were able to reach an agreement with the local dairies, and also with NÖM, a corresponding increase in purchase price”.
The retail chain is “ready at any time to continue discussions on an equal footing,” he said. It was emphasized that the supply of Austrian dairy products was “certain in any case”. Spar supplies regional or Lower Austria milk and milk products from other dairies in the Lower Austria/Vienna region.