Buffalo dairy owners across the country watched on as 95 per cent of their markets dried up overnight when COVID-19 restrictions forced the closure of so many cafes and restaurants.
It led the handful of producers left in the industry to reinvent their businesses in a number of hours and turn to direct sales in a bid to avoid throwing their milk away.
Australian Buffalo Industry Council president Bryan Jans, Sunrise Plains, Victoria, said there were now about nine buffalo dairies across the country that usually couldn't keep up with the demand for their niche products.
"We are trying different things because we know people still love the product, they are just not able to go out and get the product," he said.
"There is just a lot of years of breeding in it...mainly Italian genetics that's been bred up by the government for years and years and for those animals to find there way to the abattoir would be a shame."
Elena and Andrei Swegen run about 60 water buffalo in total on their Burradoc Farm at Bungwahl, near Seal Rocks, and lost about 80 per cent of their sales overnight for their traditional Italian mozerella and dairy products usually sold into high end Sydney markets.
They also relied on the attendance of hundreds of people each day tasting products and participating in farm tours.
They've turned to an online shop and personal home delivery but are run off their feet trying to remodel their products for individual packaging and milk the animals without their normal overseas backpacker staff.
Their products are highly sought after as one of the only operations that don't early wean the milkers' offspring.
The female buffalo are separated from their calves from 4pm each night, are milked in the morning and then collect their calves and graze together. Calves are weaned at six to eight months.
While it means lower dairy production at about 100 litres per day, it has attracted support from the strictest customers due to the transparency.
"We do have a lot of orders and people wanting the produce in Sydney because they can't go to the restaurants and obviously a lot of people are cooking at home," Ms Swegen said.
"We do have the demand but we just can't cope with it. It just went form nothing to just too much.
"We have a separate niche of the market for people who are very conscious where food comes from. They are the educated people in Sydney who really want to make a difference. They are selective."
About 10 years ago the Swegens were milking a few Jersey cows for their own purposes but quickly learned of water buffalo when their daughter began veterinary work in Darwin.
They purchased two purebred animals and traveled to Italy to secure genetics in the best animals and learn the art of cheese making.
Queensland's Mitch Humphries operates a dairy on the Atherton Tablelands and had been forced to throw buffalo milk down the drain.
He encouraged Australians to #buybuffalo and keep the industry alive.
"Buy buffalo #buybuffalo, but only Aussie made and grown from Australian produced buffalo milk," he said.
"Buy from supermarkets, independents, from takeaway food outlets for such foods as pizzas, delicatessens, and if they don't have product, ask them to stock it, or use it in their take away products.
"Even a simple thing like ordering buffalo mozzarella on your pizza, but first ask them if it's from buffalo milk produced in Australia, then you know you have backed an Aussie farm, processor, wholesaler and retailer."
Lucy Kinbacher
Raised on a cattle property at Biggenden, Lucy Kinbacher has spent 10 years working across metropolitan, regional and rural publications in both Queensland and NSW. Lucy has been the editor of the Queensland Country Life and North Queensland Register since 2021.
Raised on a cattle property at Biggenden, Lucy Kinbacher has spent 10 years working across metropolitan, regional and rural publications in both Queensland and NSW. Lucy has been the editor of the Queensland Country Life and North Queensland Register since 2021.
