Blame ethanol made from corn, based on a stupid mandate from congress they refuse to change despite all signs leading to disaster.
When cattle ranchers and dairy farmers cannot get adequate corn, they feed their cattle less nutritious blends of food. This not only means that cattle are leaner and their meat less tasty and more expensive, but that there is less milk fat in their milk. And less milk. So less butter. And the price of milk and butter go up.
The other factor is increasing demand for US milk and dairy products by other countries. If farmers make more money exporting, they export.
Stalin did this too. Starved millions. The left uses stuff like this to point out the faults of capitalism. Somebody wants higher prices, so the consumer gets shafted.
I just knew an agricultural economic genius would jump in with an explanation.
Now try the explanation again, this time with the facts as they exist.
Weave in that corn, which was about $8.50 a bushel a year ago is now at under $3.50.
And we have MOUNTAINS of corn coming this fall, more than our transportation system can handle. More than we can use, even if we burn a lot of it to heat our homes and fuel our cars.
The mountains bit will be real, in every little town across the plains we will have mountains of corn piled up.