Dairy Farmer Says ‘We’re Worthless’ As Milk Consumption Drops

A dairy farmer has described herself as ‘worthless’ in a local media report about dropping milk prices.

According to the article in WKBN 27, times are difficult for dairy farmers amid dropping consumption and milk prices. “They’re scraping the barrel and for some, it’s proven to be too much,” the piece says.

Calling dairy farmers ‘broke’, it quotes Betsy Musser, owner of Den Be Farm. She said: “I say we’re worthless. We’re producing more and more milk but consumption’s dropping.”

Dropping milk sales

There is data which has forecast that milk sales will continue to drop. According to research published earlier this year by Mintel, overall sales in the dairy milk category have fallen 15 percent since 2012.

In addition, non-dairy milk sales have seen a 61 percent surge since 2012, and are estimated to reach $2.11 billion in 2017.

A further report by Mintel has also predicted that sales of dairy milk will continue to decline over the next two years, with part of the drop being attributed to a growing awareness around how unhealthy consuming cow’s milk can be for humans. The report added that as dairy milk sales continue to decline, plant milk sales keep increasing, with the market predicted to surpass $34 billion by 2024.