USDA To Purchase $50 Million In Milk, Give It To Food Banks

The federal government’s plan to buy $50 million in U.S. milk and give it to food banks is welcome news for struggling dairy farmers, but it’s not viewed as a long-term solution for the nation’s oversupply of milk.

“Awesome for food banks, great for hungry people, and very welcomed by the dairy industry, but in the grand scheme of things it’s not going to change milk prices overnight,” said Lucas Sjostrom, executive director of the Minnesota Milk Producers and a dairy farmer near Brooten.

Sjostrom said the milk bought under the program will represent what’s produced by about 5,000 cows over a year — about 0.3 percent of U.S. milk production.

To read the rest of the story, please go to: Star Tribune