Milk’s back on the school menu

SCHOOL breakfast menus around the state will be served up local dairy products in a bid to support embattled industry farmers.
The Pactum Dairy Group in Shepparton will exclusively supply milk to the Victorian Government’s ‘School Breakfast Clubs’ program from 2017.
The program currently provides students with free breakfasts at several local schools, including Hampton Park Primary School, River Gum Primary School, Coral Park Primary School, Kilberry Valley Primary School and Narre Warren South P-12 College.
The new deal will see dairy farmers in the Murray Goulburn region supply around 400,000 litres of milk a year to the program, benefiting the 130 farms in the district who supply Pactum Dairy.
Australia grown baked beans will also be on the menu from next year with SPC Ardmona in Shepparton suppling 80 tonnes of baked beans for the program.
The SPC Ardmona factory employs 500 people and supports up to 2700 grower and supplier jobs.
Deputy Premier James Merlino said one in seven Victorian children arrived at school on an empty stomach, which affected their ability to concentrate and learn.
“We’re tackling disadvantage through School Breakfast Clubs by making sure every student has the opportunity to reach their potential – and by using Victorian dairy and food suppliers we can also help boost jobs and industry,” he said.