More than 43 million gallons of excess milk has been poured out by farmers in the U.S. amid a glut that has cut prices. Data from USDA indicates the milk has ended up in fields, manure lagoons or was discarded at plants. The head of the Michigan Milk Producers Association says farmers have dumped milk from Minnesota to New England. However, South Dakota Dairy Producers Executive Director Roger Scheibe says to his knowledge this hasn’t occurred in South Dakota or Minnesota.
He says with those recent plant shutdowns milk may have been discarded, but he believes those are isolated incidents.
Scheibe says dairy producers have been plagued by low milk prices due in part to excess product on the market and a drop in U.S. dairy exports. He says this week’s announcement USDA will purchase an additional $20 million worth of surplus cheddar cheese should help.
This is the second time USDA has intervened in the market in less than three months.
