 Bottles at Maple View Farm. |
RALEIGH --
Milk prices could reach an all-time high this summer.
The current record for milk prices was set back in June of 2004, when a gallon cost $3.57.
The USDA reports the average price for a gallon of milk right now is $3.38. North Carolina dairy farmers said if prices didn’t go up, family farms would go out of business. “We milk about 130 cows, 3 times a day,” explained Roger Nutter, Milk Plant Manager for Maple View Farms.
“I'm the 6th generation dairy farmer.” Maple View managers boast about their high quality and humble prices.
But starting next week, those prices are going up. “Right now our wholesale price is $1.70 for a half gallon,” explained Nutter.
“We're getting ready to go up 50 cents per half-gallon.
This will be our first price increase in 7 years.” The USDA reports the national average for a gallon of whole milk last month was $3.38.
That's up nearly ten cents just from January, when it was $3.29.
That’s also up almost 30 cents from the same time last year, when a gallon of milk cost $3.09. Shoppers are feeling the pinch.
One customer, who buys two gallons a week, complained she didn’t understand why milk prices are so high. Dairy farmers said the reason for the price increase is simple;
the rising cost of everything else is driving prices up. “It cost a lot to produce a gallon of milk,” said Nutter.
“The price of labor is going up, the price of feed is continually going up,
the price of fertilizer has doubled in one year, the price of fuel is continually going up.” Farmers said with steady demand, prices won’t likely come back down anytime soon.
Bottles at Maple View Farm. |