Farmers here in Texas and across the nation are struggling amid the economic downturn. Many are being forced to dump milk and other produce as demand is plummeting.
Dairy farmers in Texas and across the country have been forced to dump tens of thousands of gallons of milk. This as demand from restaurants, schools, and cafeterias plummet.
While Americans are stocking up at the grocery store, it's not enough to offset a drop in demand for certain foods, like milk and eggs. It’s a nationwide trend, and we are seeing some of its affects here in the Lone Star State. Diary Specialist Dr. Juan Pinerio is with Texas A&M Agrilife Research in Amarillo.
“I think it will take some time to get back to where we were,” Pinerio said. “Unfortunately, there are some small dairy farmers that are really struggling. No one is making money nowadays with this 30 percent decrease in the milk price.”
Pinerio says the excess food farmers are destroying can't be sent to food banks, because they're not worth sending off to be pasteurized, and thus, not safe to eat. Pinerio is encouraging Texans to buy produce and dairy products when you go to the grocery store to help farmers who are hurting.