Vermont's dairy farmers are grateful for a coming boost in federal price supports, but it won't be enough to reverse the downward economic spiral gripping Vermont's farmers.
Tthat was the message farmers shared with the Vermont Milk Commission on Monday, a day after the U.S. Senate passed an amendment to an agriculture bill that will boost by 350 million dollars what the government can spend on dairy commodity purchases. Vermont farmers were getting nearly $20 per 100 pounds of milk a year ago. Now that price is down to about $11.50, and farmers say it costs $16 to $18 to make that much milk. Addison County dairy farmer Bob Foster says his business as a whole is in jeopardy since he's not making any money on the milk he produces. The office of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., began the day Thursday by relaying a Dow Jones story saying second-quarter profits for the nation's biggest dairy processor, Dean Foods Co., were up 31 percent. By day's end, it issued a news release lauding an announcement by Attorney General Eric Holder and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack that their agencies would conduct workshops on a possible retooling of antitrust regulation in agriculture.
Tthat was the message farmers shared with the Vermont Milk Commission on Monday, a day after the U.S. Senate passed an amendment to an agriculture bill that will boost by 350 million dollars what the government can spend on dairy commodity purchases. Vermont farmers were getting nearly $20 per 100 pounds of milk a year ago. Now that price is down to about $11.50, and farmers say it costs $16 to $18 to make that much milk. Addison County dairy farmer Bob Foster says his business as a whole is in jeopardy since he's not making any money on the milk he produces. The office of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., began the day Thursday by relaying a Dow Jones story saying second-quarter profits for the nation's biggest dairy processor, Dean Foods Co., were up 31 percent. By day's end, it issued a news release lauding an announcement by Attorney General Eric Holder and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack that their agencies would conduct workshops on a possible retooling of antitrust regulation in agriculture.
