SA dairy farmers get $60k for counselling

South Australian dairy farmers will share in $60,000 of financial and mental counselling in the wake of milk price cuts.

Dairy co-operative Murray Goulburn has slashed what it pays farmers for milk solids from $5.60 a kilogram to between $4.75 and $5 a kilogram because of a slump in global prices.

Competitor Fonterra has mirrored the move.

SA Agriculture Minister Leon Bignell says the initial funds will "soften the blow" for distressed farmers while the government works towards long-term solutions.

"We've got people suffering really severe mental health issues at the moment," he told reporters on Wednesday.

Mr Bignell urged consumers to vote with their wallets and avoid companies who were "ripping the guts out of the milk price".

"The government can't do everything. It really needs to be consumers who show the way and punish the bad guys here ... paying less than what it costs to produce the milk," he said.