Posted on 02/18/2014 4:14:21 PM PST by Libloather
Dairy analysts estimate store milk prices could go up 60 cents in March, reaching their highest ever.
"The cupboards are dry," said dairy economist Mary Ledman.
Blame cheese. Short supply pushed cheese to a new peak in January, going from $1.80 to $2.36 a block. That jump is driving the March increases for "fluid milk."
Moreover, in early 2013, farmers responded to higher feed costs by cutting back on herd growth. Coupled with growing international appetite, especially from China, that's led to tighter supplies and higher prices.
(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...
I think this calls somehow for more government intervention. Price supports and subsidies or something like that. </sarcasm>
We can take some of the price pressure on milk off by drinking more beer. Beer is probably healthier for adults anyway.
Milk prices fluctuate a lot. Higher prices make it worthwhile for more dairies to sell milk when other factors limit farm production. When farm production rises, prices fall but also more milk is sold. It’s not any big panic. Though if it ever did become a big panic we’d scarcely know it next to all the other things our dear liberal friends get all excited over.
It’s Bush’s fault!
It’s the democrats war on children.
They have cows in China don’t they? Can’t they make their own cheese? Are they totally helpless? They’re sending rockets to the moon and building aircraft carriers, but they can’t raise cows?
I do notice the mention of China. Chinese diets are not typically high in dairy. Lactose intolerance is a widespread condition in the Orient, hand in hand with this. This does sound odd.
Seems like a trial balloon as milk and dairy products are heavily subsidized by the Governments (state and fed).
A 60 cent jump in milk would surely have to be at the blessings of Obama.
Not a lot of cows in China.
Oddly enough they do have considerable marginal grassland/pasturage in many parts towards central Asia that maybe could be used for ranching.
Wensleydale is a premium cheese. Its certainly not cheap here.
And its pretty good too. Wallace is quite right to be apprehensive.
Did anyone see a cheese shortage? Was anyone denied Velveeta dip during the Super Bowl? No, I didn’t think so. This is all hoopla and price manipulation.
Far away from the regions where most Chinese live, though. They’ve been buying American milk. And American dairies have been happy to sell to them. If this keeps up, there will be more dairies in the USA. We could do worse.
I could be wrong, but I have a faint recollection of hearing that lactose-intolerant people can eat cheese without lactose-related problems.
Then in responding to market demands they will produce more milk, right?
is there any real cheese in Velveeta?
Come to think of it I have heard that too. Cheese cultures tend to convert lactose to more digestible sugars.
I’d think the cheese would be produced here and then shipped to China. It would be more economical. States like Wisconsin must be happy.
Yes, but beer emits CO2.
As a carbon emitter Beer is killing the planet
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