By Courtney E. Meyer, AFIS, Agribusiness Producer
Dairy producers were hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. Initially, their way of doing business was changing by the hour! However, the industry is slowing coming back. Let me explain.
The COVID-19 national emergency created a disruption in supply and demand for the dairy industry the beginning of April. As many farmers across the nation were asked to dump milk down the drain, the general public had a hard time understanding why since there were quantity limits on dairy purchases at the store.
With schools, coffee shops and other non-essential businesses closing, the milk demand for those businesses decreased significantly. Therefore, milk processors had to figure out a way to repackage these products in gallon and half gallon containers. This caused a huge bottleneck in the fluid milk industry. During this reconfiguration period, many farmers had to dump milk down the drain because the processors could not handle the change, nor did they have the necessary staff to help.
Now, with new processes in place for packaging and distribution, Pennsylvania grocery stores have recently been asked to remove the quantity limits on dairy products.
Contact Courtney at 717.875.3663 or email her if you have questions.
More information can be found:
American Dairy Association – “American Dairy Association North East Helps Retailers Keep Milk Available During National Pandemic” by Jean Kummer
State Representative Aaron Bernstine on Pittsburg’s Action 4 News
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