dairy farmer

A dairy farm that produces and supplies milk and is willing to become a member of the cooperative.

• Supply of first-class milk in accordance with the applicable delivery conditions.
• Compliance with delivery and quality conditions as laid down by the cooperative.
• Participation in district meetings (spring and autumn) and other member meetings for input and coordination.

• Membership of a vital dairy cooperative with a farmers' board and opportunities for participation.
• Purchase guarantee and a fair, transparent milk price with various surcharges.
• Surcharges and allowances: quantity surcharge (max. €1,45/100 kg), sustainability surcharge (max. €0,50/100 kg), (partial) grazing surcharge (max. €1,50/100 kg), GMO-free surcharge (€1,00/100 kg), climate surcharge (max. €0,50/100 kg), Tuurlijk! surcharge (€5,00/100 kg) and Koefortabel! surcharge (€3,00/100 kg).
• Participants in the Tuurlijk! sustainability program receive the Tuurlijk! supplement of €5 per 100 kg of milk (excluding the pasture milk supplement of €1,50 per 100 kg).
• The fat-to-protein payout ratio is 1:1 and the monthly milk payment is paid in two installments, at the beginning and in the middle of the month.
• Short lines of communication, a personal approach, and transparency in the milk price paid.

DOC Kaas UA is a quintessentially Dutch dairy cooperative, founded in 1895 with origins in Drenthe. Currently, milk producers from the Netherlands and Germany supply milk to the cooperative. Since 2016, DOC Kaas, together with the cooperative Deutsches Milchkontor eG, has been the owner of DMK GmbH, which processes the supplied milk into brands and products such as Uniekaas, Milram, Humana, Alete, and Oldenburger. The cooperative maintains a small-scale, member-oriented approach with a focus on the human scale.

The cooperative has a structure consisting of a members' council representing the regions and a 'farmers' board' of six member milk producers that provides day-to-day management and sets the course. The milk production area is divided into eight regions, one of which is in Germany. Region meetings take place twice a year.

Sustainability is embedded in the policy; DOC Kaas works with chain partners, including Jumbo Supermarkets and Uniekaas Holland, to make the cheese chain more sustainable. The sustainability program Tuurlijk! focuses on improving animal welfare and making positive contributions to nature, the environment, and the climate, and supports members in making their business operations more sustainable.

There is a youth committee that focuses on involving the next generation of members in the cooperative and gaining management experience.