Canadian Milk Producers Dump Tons of Fresh Milk as Demand Slumps

Many sectors of the economy worldwide are experiencing harsh ramifications from the coronavirus pandemic. One of these, perhaps surprisingly, is milk production in Canada.

The demand for fresh milk has now dropped significantly, due to the simple fact that consumers have turned to stocking up on powdered milk, which they can store in their cupboards for long periods of time.

This has resulted in creating an unnecessary crisis for dairy farmers, the result of what is beyond doubt a completely unnecessary panic.

For this reason, North American milk producers, particularly those in Canada, are facing a dramatically worsened situation in what has already been a shaky market for fresh milk in the last several years.

Most milk producers were recently forced to dump tons of milk, as the market simply did not desire their product.

All the dairy processing plants are now full, so new, fresh milk is not needed, even as much as it was in the recent past, when the market was already saturated with milk substitutes such as almond and soy “milk.”

There are estimates suggesting that as many as five million liters of fresh milk are now being wasted in Canada every single week due to the panic buying of powdered milk.

An additional burden to the industry has come from the closures of schools, cafes, and restaurants, institutions and businesses which have historically purchased large quantities of fresh milk.

One solution to this crisis for dairy farmers would be for the state to purchase fresh milk from the producers and distribute it to food banks; however, no such measure has been decided on at this time.