U.S. Dairy Farmers Dump 43 Million Gallons of Milk in 2016

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Dairy farmers in the United States have dumped 43 million gallons of milk in 2016.

Milk, Dairy Farmers

The reason that U.S. dairy farmers have dumped so much milk is because of a surplus of the product. Many also can’t afford to have the dairy product hauled away. This is occurring due to dairy prices dropping after the shortage that took place in 2014.

According to information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), this is the most milk that has ever been wasted since 2000. Prices for the product have dropped 36% since 2014 . The increase means that any extra is being thrown out at plants or discarded in truck routes.

It’s not that people aren’t trying to use the extra milk, but there is just too much of it. School lunches have started adding more and some restaurants have switched up recopies to include more of the dairy product. The problem is also showing up in meat and poultry markets due to expansions made in 2014, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Another problem facing dairy farmers is the decreasing interest in the dairy product from consumers. Both whole and skim milk sales are decreasing as sales of substitutes, such as almond milk, are on the rise. The USDA is also buying $20 million of cheddar cheese. This cheese will then be distributed to various food pantries across the United States, Money Magazine notes.

“There are California producers so desperate to move organic milk they’re coming after our market in Atlanta,” Eric Newman, vice president of sales at Organic Valley, told WSJ. “It’s a mess.”

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Article printed from InvestorPlace Media, https://investorplace.com/2016/10/milk-dairy-farmers/.

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