US Faces Cheese Surplus As Dairy Demand Drops

According
to the US Department of Agriculture, there is currently 1.39 billion pounds of cheese in storage in the country – a surplus which is the result of dwindling dairy
demand.

Dairy sales

A sudden drop in demand for milk means much of it is being made into
cheese – which can be stored and remains profitable for a longer period.

Because of
the over-production of cheese, prices have dropped.

With the
industry floundering, cheese makers are dissuading Trump from putting an
international tariff on the product, which is sold in abundance in Mexico.

Dairy
alternatives

Meanwhile,
the dairy alternative market is forecasted to hit $24 billion USD within the
next eight years – presenting a dismal forecast for the cheese industry should
this pattern continue.

In light of
the changes, a report by Rabobank advises that those in the dairy industry consider
an alternative route.

The report’s
Senior Analyst in Dairy Tom Bailey said: “While it’s not essential to
diversify into dairy alternatives, it would be wise for the dairy industry to
at least learn one thing from the success of dairy alternatives, which may be
putting the consumer first and trading in the old grass-to-glass model for
glass-to-grass.”