Deloitte Australia – the administrators for troubled milk broker National Dairy Products (NDP) - has laid off the company’s eight staff.
It’s also been revealed the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) is investigating NDP.
Simpson dairy farmer, Alex Robertson, confirmed ASIC had contacted him.
“I believe ASIC is finding out a lot of stuff which is quite different to what (managing director) Tony Esposito has been telling them,” he said.
“There is an investigation going on – he has no milk, and I don’t think we are ever going to see the money.”
Mr Robertson said he was owed more than a quarter of a million dollars, for milk supplied to NDP.
An ASIC spokeswoman declined to confirm whether a complaint about NDP had been received, or whether it was investigating the company.
NDP was placed into voluntary administration with Deloitte Financial Advisory this week, on the advice of Mr Esposito.
Voluntary administrator and Deloitte Restructuring Services partner Glen Kanevsky said the company needed to do its own investigations, to understand the events and circumstances leading up to its appointment.
“We are engaging with suppliers and other critical stakeholders and will provide them with further communications as soon as practical,” Mr Kanevsky said.
The first creditor meeting would be held on Monday, November 28.
Fonterra has also refuted claims, by NDP managing director Tony Esposito, it poachd his customer base, by offering discounted milk to the liquid market.
Mr Esposito said the milk was devalued by both Fonterra and Murray Goulburn (MG), which led to NDP being pushed out of the marketplace.
Fonterra Australia’s milk supply general manager Matt Watt said the company had picked up some former NDP suppliers.
“The claims that Fonterra has picked up new clients in the liquid market by discounting its milk supply are false,” Mr Watt said
“We have not been in recent discussions with any NDP customers.”
MG declined to comment.
