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Milk dumping in MO and efforts to right the dairy ship
As in some other parts of the country, Missouri dairy farmers are taking turns dumping milk until demand catches up to supply during the effects of the pandemic.
Gene Wiseman, head of the Missouri Milk Board tells Brownfield Ag News, “From my talks with dairy marketing co-ops through the last couple of days, or the last four days, they are rotating and not making the same farmers dump all the time so they can keep the system moving, keep sanitation in place and help the dairy farmers.”
Wiseman and Missouri Ag Director Chris Chinn have let grocery retailers know they should remove any limits on buying milk – as demand shifts away from schools and restaurants to grocery stores and dairy processors try to catch up with the shift. Chinn says retailers have responded to that request positively. And, she and Wiseman are urging consumers to buy more milk and dairy products to help dairy farmers.
Chinn says the grocery retailers are not the bad guys and were just trying to make sure there was enough milk and other food products for their customers. She says, “They know there is not a supply problem out here, they know it’s a demand problem right now.” And, she says they appreciate knowing the negative effect that is having on dairy producers.
Wiseman says there have been instances of milk dumping in Missouri in the past but not at this level. He says it is impossible to know when things will level off and dumping won’t be necessary. Milk is a highly perishable product.
~Media call with Director Chris Chinn and Gene Wiseman
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