Tough Times Continue for the Milking Parlor
by John Stoesser on Jan 14, 2019
Dairy continues under high stress, with profitability more than elusive.
Genetic development, better nutrition, constantly improving animal health management and production technology have all contributed to massive increases in efficiency - but even as dairy products continue to improve diets around the globe, especially among those with the fewest resources, these aspects also bring oversupply as well. To many families which find agriculture as a calling, such evolution brings heartbreak as ends can no longer be met. It feels as if they are suffering punishment for being too good at what they do.
But the creative destruction of the competitive marketplace also allows the sowing of different seeds of innovation, and the growth of new opportunities. This article reviews the current situation.
There are few things human ingenuity can't solve, and America's farmers, ranchers and dairymen have consistently proven themselves among the best at it.