Labor loses vote over Aust dairy farmers

Labor has lost a bid in parliament to condemn the government over its treatment of Australia's dairy farmers.

Labor's agriculture spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon took issue with Agriculture Minister David Littleproud's comments from earlier this week, when he told Australians not to buy milk from Coles and Aldi which refused to increase their prices like Woolworths.

The minister's statement equated to telling the nation to boycott Australian dairy farmers, Mr Fitzgibbon told the lower house on Thursday, before Labor lost the motion to suspend standing orders 68 votes to 73.

Independent Queensland MP Bob Katter also tried to suspend standing orders to condemn the Nationals for deregulating the dairy industry, but the attempt was voted down 68 to 72.