COVID forced the dairy industry to redirect its efforts this past year. As of September, Dairy Management Incorporated CEO Tom Gallagher says domestic dairy demand and dairy exports combined had an increase of 1.2 percent. That’s 2.7 million pounds. “I think if anyone would have placed a bet on that in March, people weren’t going to guess we’d be at that level. I think we’ll finish the year in positive territory domestically if cheese keeps going the way it’s going.” The dairy checkoff credits stronger domestic demand with pizza promotions, new products, the local work done to save school feeding programs and product donations to food banks. The U.S. Dairy Export Council data through the first 10 months of the year suggests the industry is on track to ship more than two million tons of milk solids for the first time in a single year.
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