From Kristen Coady, vice president, corporate communications, Dairy Farmers of America
“In this ever-changing situation, our number one priority remains the safety and well-being of our farm families and employees.
We are diligently working to ensure our farm families’ milk continues to be picked up, our plants continue to operate, and we continue to provide consumers and communities with wholesome dairy products during this difficult time.
With the uncertainty of COVID-19 and evolving consumer buying habits, we are seeing demand for dairy products change. While we initially saw increased demand at grocery stores as consumers stocked up on many products, like dairy, in anticipation of potential quarantines and shelter-in-place orders, the retail demand is starting to level off. For this reason, we anticipate that milk will be more readily available at grocery stores in the coming weeks. Also, during this time, we’ve seen reduced needs in the foodservice sector with school and restaurant closures, which has resulted in an overall surplus of milk.
These sudden changes in demand, are resulting in uncertainty, and are forcing some dairy manufacturers to cut or change production schedules or build inventories. Due to the excess milk and plants already operating at capacity, there is more milk right now than space available in processing plants. This, in combination with the perishable nature of our product, has resulted in a need to dispose of raw milk on farms, in some circumstances.
We continue to work with our customers to explore additional options to retain as much value from our farm families’ milk as possible and to exhaust all possible avenues to find a home for their milk.”
Patty Storlie says
If there is so much milk than why is it only 1 per customer at the store !!!
Larry Linville says
Supply and demand, creates the need to restrict sales.
Being on the front line I can attest to the fact that people will take it out of the case before I can get it on the shelf.
Carole Valentine says
Farmers are the hardest working people. We appreciate you very much. Love milk…drink it daily. Thank you.
Don Whitehurst says
Instead of dumping the milk you should send it overseas to people who are starving I bet you could give it away here in the USA you are making to Much money you should be ashamed
Pam Jahnke says
This milk is unprocessed and unpackaged and CAN’T be donated. If we could process/package the milk it would be on store shelves for sale.
tonya says
they arent making too much money!! your ignorance is showing..
Bear says
The problem is that there is not any room to unload it from the trucks after it is picked up. Which means that trucks, like the one I’ve been in waiting for the plant to have enough room for me to get unloaded have to wait,then it has to be processed in the plant (pasteurized). Then, it has to be shipped all the way over there to them… Get the picture????$$$
Stephanie says
Process it into dried milk. That can’t be found anywhere. Process it into anything besides dumping it. There is still a one gallon limit so why dump it?
Rose M Severance says
I can’t believe they dumped all that milk. What a waste! I’m disgusted
Ken Charles says
I am So Disturbed by This Story ! When there American Citizens barely making it day to day along with Children that are not getting a decent amount of Milk & then i read about This. THIS IS A SHAME !! There needs to be a way to have this milk transported to other parts of The Country where it will be distributed to needy people. The First Group that I think of are Our Native American throughout the country.Then just think about The Low Income Nursing Facilities that can use this milk. I am asking PLEASE HELP with this Tragedy !!
Debbie Brinkmeier says
Let’s use whole milk at the food pantry. That 1% stuff can’t even make sour milk with it.
Edward says
If milk is so cheap why is it costing me 3 59 gallon here in Watford city nd
Judie says
Why can’t you get milk in the grocery store if there is too much? My grandsons drink about a gallon of milk a day! We love it!
Pam Jahnke says
This milk is unprocessed and unpackaged and CAN’T be donated. If we could process/package the milk it would be on store shelves for sale.
Lillie A Stack says
I understand the decrease in commercial dairy purchase, Howe, if you are going to dump it, and take a loss anyway, why not donate it to homeless shelters, drop the price at grocery stores, and convince the Govt, to include dairy products to be given freely to those now forced on unemployment and food stamps? Since you are not gaining a thing monetarily throwing it away! Throw it away to people in a crisis!!
Pam Jahnke says
This milk is unprocessed and unpackaged and CAN’T be donated. If we could process/package the milk it would be on store shelves for sale.
Kathy L. says
Why can’t the milk be processed and packaged? In Colorado we’re still limited to one gallon. I buy groceries for my elderly father and have to go to multiple stores to get his milk. Maybe we can trade toilet paper for milk? We are desperate for milk!
Pam Jahnke says
Covid-19 has impacted available employees at many dairy processing facilities. We’re just not able to get the milk through the processing chain as fast as consumer demand has ramped up. Believe me, if there was a way – dairy farmers would obviously prefer to have it processed.
Beverly Hitchcock says
Shame! There are many other ways to service the community without specifically targeting retail. Food banks homeless shelter heck provide it to other farms for their animals. But for the love of all mankind stop wasting it!
Pam Jahnke says
This milk is unprocessed and unpackaged and CAN’T be donated. If we could process/package the milk it would be on store shelves for sale.
Shelley S Wharton says
SHAME SHAME SHAME! DONATE TO ANYONE!!!! OMG!!! DO NOT POUR DOWN THE DRAIN! I AM DISGUSTED! DONATE PLEASE! CHURCHES, ORPHANAGES! MILK CAN BE FROZEN!!! LIFT STORE LIMITS! UGH. HELP! COMMON SENSE PLEASE!
Pam Jahnke says
Let me say this again- this milk is unprocessed and unpackaged so it CAN’T be donated. If we could get it processed/packaged it would be on store shelves for sale.
Dave Drennan says
Call DFA in Kansas City Ksnsas and tell them how you feel.
Chad says
There is a great market for raw milk. It’s a shame there is such a negative stigma (and regulations) against it.
Rob Jones says
It’s obvious that some people can read, but cannot understand or comprehend the situation. Once this whole situation is over I would suggest that for those consumers who can, reach out to an agricultural producer and find out how your food ends up on the store shelf. It’s not as easy as a pipeline from the cow’s udder to a jug or a wheat field to a cereal box in the back of a store!!!!!
Lakshmi ChandraBhanu says
Raw milk is really delicious! My grandmother had a dairy cow and during one such crises way back in the late 90’s-early 2000’s, our neighbors couldn’t have been more grateful that they were neighbors with us and had that ease of access to milk. Cottage cheese would be delicious to make from raw milk. If these farmers had helpers who were willing to help process the milk, I’m sure it could be saved. With covid-19 I could see why farmers would want to take those extra processing measures.