tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7514935000523006114.post8807450273182284173..comments2023-09-10T11:57:05.595-04:00Comments on Ithaca's Food Web: Dairy prices rise, farmers struggleIthaca's Food Webhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11577288901554718954noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7514935000523006114.post-47637659406402388412011-05-06T13:58:07.313-04:002011-05-06T13:58:07.313-04:00The existing "milk price scheme" was dev...The existing "milk price scheme" was devised by people who are not dependent upon a milk check. The milk price is controlled by 1) those who purchase wholesale milk, and 2) regulators who have no clue what input costs are. The result is an industry that is declining, is inadequately profitable to attract investment, and reflects regional differences controlled by political elitists and looters. Not a pretty picture for a wholesome, natural product that is routinely slandered by mindless elitists and celebrities.Philnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7514935000523006114.post-46456841873935958742011-05-06T12:30:09.298-04:002011-05-06T12:30:09.298-04:00NY State has a fantastic milkshed, will millions o...NY State has a fantastic milkshed, will millions of acres available for grassland grazing. We have thousands and thousands of mostly smaller farmers who routeinly graze the cows. Howver, these farmers are paid much less than the multi-thousand cow farms who get a big "volume" premium. Hardly fair. And, yes, why in the world are NY's farmers taking a beating on price compared to other states.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7514935000523006114.post-40463371008373732032011-05-06T06:43:46.955-04:002011-05-06T06:43:46.955-04:00The concentration of the dairy industry, and the d...The concentration of the dairy industry, and the destruction of family farms, results from many different examples of "meddling" by the Federal Government and various state governments. Water supports in western states (California, Idaho, Arizona, etc.) has allowed and encouraged the radical shift in dairy production (and population) from East to West. Easterners were taxed to pay fro the expansion in the West. Is this equitable? What is? Soil conditions, weather, employment options, profitability, innovation ... many things have impacted the dairy industry over the past 6 decades. Basically, what we see today is the end result of government strategy. Is it good to have political elitists choosing the winners and losers? Do we trust corrupt regulators to manage our lives and economy?Philnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7514935000523006114.post-81636792695584985022011-05-05T20:53:00.413-04:002011-05-05T20:53:00.413-04:00As an agribusiness man, a poor dairy economy effec...As an agribusiness man, a poor dairy economy effects me and my family tremendously. If farmers aren't making money, they have less money to spend on products like I sell them. That leaves less money in my pocket to spend in my community, less to keep our home looking good. Sorry to be a bit crude, but it is a difficult situation.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7514935000523006114.post-28997316285973725332011-05-05T20:50:08.146-04:002011-05-05T20:50:08.146-04:00Thank you for your article! Someone once told me ...Thank you for your article! Someone once told me if something is so complex that you can't explain it to your mother, there is a simple reason: They don't want you to understand it! That is exactly what has taken place in the dairy industry. The price set to the dairy farmer is based off from surplus cheese sold on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) where there are very few buyers and sellers who can easily manipulate the prices to favor the processors. The Northeast dairy farmers have some of the highest production costs and more population than any other parts of the country. Yet, they are not paid adequately for their local product. Over the last 10 years, market competition has been squeezed to full supply contracts which has destroyed free market. The role of the cooperatives is to provide an adequate supply of milk that provides an ADEQUATE price to the farmers. Under the laws of the Cooperatives they are supposed to treat the members equally. The cooperatives have not been providing equal/adequate returns to their members. Today's dairy farmer is receiving the only 27% of the retail dollar. The lowest in history. Today's farmers bare all the risk for the industry while the processors and retailers profit. We need Dept. of Justice/NY Attorney General's office to look into the anti-trust laws that are being abused in this industryAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7514935000523006114.post-10074195694508183552011-05-05T17:26:41.430-04:002011-05-05T17:26:41.430-04:00Thanks for delving into dairy! The Northeast stat...Thanks for delving into dairy! The Northeast states have about 13,000 farms, average of 100 cows. Roughly 42% of the milk produced by NY's farms goes into fluid milk consumption. We've seen two new yogurt companies, Chobani and Fage, ramping up NY production and seeking more milk. I have not really seen any farmers doing bottling in my part of the state.<br /> What we are seeing with prices paid to NY farmers is disturbing. For the past few years, prices paid to NY farmers are substantially BELOW all of the surrounding states. Looking at NY "mailbox" prices, the net price received by NY farmers in April, it was at $16.83 for one hundred pounds of milk. Just over the PA border, farmers were receiving $17.72 for one hundred pounds of milk. New England farmers are reporting $18.09 for same hundred pounds. What is wrong in NY? The NY price depression has been going on for a few years now. Since we are talking $2 billion dollars worth of gross milk sales at the farm gate, the NY price valley equates to millions and millions of dollars lost to rural NY. I would like to know what is causing this when new processors are asking for more milk?NYFarmernoreply@blogger.com