Savencia has ended its contract with Oplase SA, and the Belgian company Pur Ardenne has filed for bankruptcy. Oplase SA, a marketing structure for the Seine and East Milk Producers Organization (Oplase), is currently dealing with difficult conditions. The SA was formed in 2022 to help the organization reduce its economic dependence on its main client, Eurial Lait, which is expected to be fully integrated by 2026. To achieve this, Oplase SA has begun supplying milk to two operators, each handling between 5 and 6 million liters annually. Oplase SA signed commercial contracts with both Pur Ardenne and Savencia. The milk destined for Savencia is supplied to the dairy Gérard in Tholy (Vosges). These 17 Alsace-based members are responsible for the entire operation. Although the core of the organization is based in Haute-Normandie and Picardie, it also includes farms from three other departments, including Haut-Rhin. Oplase SA is responsible for billing the volumes sold and uses the billing software of the FNPL, a French dairy industry organization. Two months on the Spot market, Pur Ardenne filed for bankruptcy and stopped collecting the 5 million liters in May. "We were warned a month in advance," said Eric Lapostolle, vice president of the Oplase OP. For two months, the milk produced was sold on the Spot market, which is a market where goods are sold for immediate delivery, at prices ranging between 50 € and 200 € per 1,000 liters (quality 38/32). A contract until November 30 could be signed with a French manufacturer. "We hope for a quick solution for the future," Lapostolle added. Collateral damage from the "Lactalis" breaks. "Bad news never comes alone," Lapostolle said, noting that the second client, Savencia, announced it would not renew its contract and terminated it in August. Respecting the two-year notice period, the contract will end on September 1, 2028. "It is the cascading effect of the broken contracts by Lactalis in the Grand Est," Lapostolle lamented. Savencia no longer needs the 5 to 6 million liters because it has integrated former Lactalis operations. Other dairies such as L’Ermitage and Alsace Lait have also welcomed these former Lactalis operations. Oplase SA pools the prices paid by the cheesemaker and the temporary French client to manage the financial aspects of its operations. The situation highlights the challenges faced by dairy producers in adapting to changing market conditions and supply chain disruptions.