Falling Milk Prices Could Put Farmers Out of Business

WCAX-TV 3 Burlington, VT ^ | WCAX

[lainie]

Montpelier, Vermont - September 12, 2002

Vermont Farm officials say unless milk prices start to rise soon, many dairy farmers will be forced to go out of business.

Today the Vermont Milk Commission reconvened for the first time in years. The group wants to try to come up to solutions to what it calls a crisis in the dairy industry. Vermont farmers now are getting paid the same milk prices as 30 years ago.

Vermont's Agriculture Commissioner Leon Graves says that Vermont farmers are the most dairy dependent in the country.

The Vermont Milk Commission say farmers also face other problems this year from mother nature. It's been a bad year for corn silage and that could mean increased feed prices.

Tonight on the Channel 3 news at 6 we'll have more on the meeting and possible solutions.

[lainie]

"reconvened for the first time in years"?

[RicocheT]

VT dairy farmers under the old milk compact and the present one get the best deal in the nation. If they are hurting, our dairy farmers in WI are even worse. Let the farmer get more of the price per gallon as the middlemen and the retailer get most of the cut. The farmer gets up early, shovels cow flop and does the hard part of milking. The rest ride on his back and get more money. Try to buy co-op produced milk as at least the farmer has a bit of a cut on the steps beyond the farm.

[sinkspur]

Vermont's Agriculture Commissioner Leon Graves says that Vermont farmers are the most dairy dependent in the country.

And the most government-dependent.

There's lots of high-tech guys on the streets, looking for jobs that may have vanished forever.

That's the way things work in a free-market economy.

[lawdude]

What we have here is the free flow of milk at market prices.

[blackdog]

Go cry to Jim Jeffords.....Don't worry though, Daschle will attatch an amendment to some soldier's pay raise bill to piss away another 20 billion that he swore would not be needed from the bloated farm bill three months ago. Corn prices.....Feh! Corn is lower than $2.00 per bushel, Alfalfa is @ $70.00 per ton, what a crock.

[deport]

Yep that damn Supply/Demand thing gets in the way once in a while. But given time and if the government will stay out of it the market will sort it out.

[anymouse]

Official Presidential memo sent to VT dairy farmers:

Moooove. :)

G.W.

Hook 'em Horns

[thegreatbeast]

Yeah, I'm in MA (not far from VT) and the price of dairy is ridiculous. I can afford the lobster but not the butter! Life is a bitch.

[Whispering Smith]

They don't need the commission, they've got the US Senate.

[flushed with pride]

Memo to VT dairymen: Don't panic, you'll be milking the taxpayers soon enough. Their payout is better than cows.

[tubebender]

Try to buy co-op produced milk as at least the farmer has a bit of a cut on the steps beyond the farm.

About 50 dairy farmers here in Humboldt County formed a co-op years ago (Humboldt Creamery) Three years ago they spent big bucks and put in a premium ice cream line. Costco sells it under their Kirkland label and it only has 28% butterfat.Most of the dairies are 200 milkers or less.

[Coleus]

http://www.nomilk.com/