Minnesota State Agriculture Department Officials say over 300 dairies in their state left the business between January 1 of 2019 and New Year’s Day of 2020. Over the past three years, over 800 dairies have exited the business. Those figures are sobering according to Lucas Sjostrom, Executive Director of the Minnesota Milk Producers Association.

He says a variety of factors led to the dairy losses with poor economics leading the way.

Sjostrom says they do have some programs in Minnesota to assist those younger producers who want to get into the dairy business.

He says beginning dairy farmers have several challenges to deal with in trying to get started including the high costs of facilities, dairy parlors, concrete and manure pits.