In honor of National Dairy Month, Minnesota Farmers Union hosted Rural Dairy Discussions in Stearns and Wabasha counties. The discussions are an opportunity for farmers to share thoughts on the current dairy economy. MFU President Gary Wertish says the major concern lies with milk prices. “There’s farmers going out of business because they can’t cash flow. It’s serious, and a decrease in the number of dairy farms hurts our rural and small communities.” Two weeks ago, it was announced the Dean Foods/Land O’Lakes plant in Thief River Falls will close. In addition, cheese export markets are facing potential tariffs. With an oversupply of milk, farmers continue to search for a home for their products. “A few people in the crowd said the co-ops may need to have policies that cut back on supplies. Also, dairy farmers rely heavily on export markets to get rid of excess supply. Any damage to trade relationships comes back directly on the farmer.”
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