‘Taking this seriously’: Riverina Fresh slams false liquidation report

RIVERINA Fresh has moved to reassure its farmers, employees, suppliers and customers that it remains financially sound and fully operational after being wrongly reported as having entered liquidation.

The century-old Wagga dairy manufacturer issued an official statement overnight following an extraordinary company mix-up in a breaking news report published by The Daily Advertiser on Tuesday.

Riverina Fresh said the report, which incorrectly linked the company to liquidation proceedings involving the unrelated Riverina Fresh Produce Pty Ltd, was “completely false”.

“Riverina Fresh is not in liquidation and continues to operate normally across all areas of its business,” the company said.

“Our production facilities, distribution operations, customer relationships and commitments to suppliers remain unchanged.”

The statement follows reporting by the Junee Bulletin on Tuesday which established through Australian corporate and insolvency records that two entirely separate companies had been confused.

‘NO CONNECTION’

The original breaking news report published by The Daily Advertiser claimed Wagga’s Riverina Fresh was “set to close” after being forced into liquidation over unpaid debt.

It identified the Wagga dairy operation through its name, logo and imagery and linked the liquidation proceedings to its historic Hammond Avenue operation.

The report was also promoted on social media and distributed directly to digital subscribers under the subject line: “Breaking: Riverina Fresh in liquidation”.

The story remained visible at the top of The Daily Advertiser‘s homepage for more than half-an-hour before it was pulled. | Image: Supplied

The email alert received by The Daily Advertiser’s digital subscribers. | Image: Supplied

However, the company involved in the liquidation proceedings was Riverina Fresh Produce Pty Ltd, a separate business based at Willbriggie, south of Griffith.

Riverina Fresh Pty Ltd, which operates the Wagga dairy business, has a different Australian Company Number, Australian Business Number and corporate history.

“The Daily Advertiser has confused Riverina Fresh with another business that has no connection to our company, resulting in inaccurate statements being published about our company,” Riverina Fresh said.

“We are taking this matter seriously and are working to ensure the public record is corrected and that Riverina Fresh’s reputation is protected.”

READ MORE: Riverina Fresh wrongly linked to company collapse

The Daily Advertiser removed its original article and associated Facebook post before publishing a corrected report at 1pm on Tuesday.

Its correction acknowledged: “A previous version identified Wagga’s Riverina Fresh as the business involved.”

“Riverina Fresh is a milk manufacturing company and has no connection with Riverina Fresh Produce.”

‘FINANCIALLY SOUND’

Riverina Fresh has now sought to remove any lingering uncertainty created by the original report, explicitly confirming that its business continues to trade normally.

“We want to reassure our customers, suppliers, farming partners and employees that Riverina Fresh remains fully operational and continues to trade as normal,” the company said.

“Riverina Fresh has proudly supported Riverina dairy farmers and regional communities for more than a century.

“We remain financially sound, fully operational and focused on continuing to deliver high-quality dairy products and service to our customers.”

Riverina Fresh’s long-standing Hammond Avenue factory in Wagga | Image: Google Streetview (enhanced)

The Wagga dairy operation traces its history to 1922 and today sources milk from dairy farms throughout the Riverina.

The business expanded its operations earlier this year through the acquisition of Sydney-based cultured dairy producer Babushka’s Kefir.

Riverina Fresh said it had taken immediate steps to correct the public record following Tuesday’s report and thanked those connected with the company for their support.

“We thank our employees, suppliers, dairy farmers and customers for their ongoing support.”