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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – The dairy sector has been hit hard over the past few years, and the latest report from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture is proof.
Ten years ago, there were more than 4,000 dairy farms across the state, but today, that number is closer to 1,800, with almost 150 dairies shuttering since the first of the year.
According to a story in the Star Tribune, the closures come on the heels of multi-year declines in domestic fluid milk consumption.
At the turn of the century, Americans were consuming almost 200 pounds of milk per year, while twenty years later, the industry is dealing with a 60-pound-per-person decline – roughly equal to a 34 percent reduction in demand.
One positive sign has been the sliding increase in milk prices, generally speaking, to $4.33 per gallon (whole milk, according to USDA), up from $2.85 in 2018.
