Milk Madness

Vernon Black is a dairy farmer from Bloomfield, NB. He maintains the high cost of milk means a better quality product.

By Michael MacDonald

WOODSTOCK - Consumers and businesses have been feeling the pinch as the price of milk rose by five cents per litre on February first. The New Brunswick Farm Products Commission announced the increase on January 27^th.

Rising fuel and feed prices, among other factors, have been affecting the operating costs of dairy producers and processors here in New Brunswick.

“If you can’t cover your costs as you go along, well then you’ll fall behind.”

Vernon Black is a dairy farmer from Bloomfield. He produces half a million litres per year, and said feed costs are his biggest input. According to his math, the recent price adjustment will cover only the increase in feed costs.

Canadian dairy farmers enjoy a guaranteed return on their milk. This does not mean it is easy for dairy farmers to be profitable.

“My husband came from a family of dairy farmers who lived in the states and here. That’s why his father ended up going back to upstate New York; the smaller farm… just couldn’t make it, it was so controlled,” said Michelle Tereault, a mother from Woodstock.

She thinks the general public is unaware the farmer is not making much of a profit, even with the high price on milk.

“I guess it’s like everything else. Everything seems to go up in price,” said Nancy McCauley, also a resident of Woodstock. “I’m going to have to buy milk at whatever price.”

But Vernon Black says the high cost comes with benefits.

Other than sustaining Canadian farms, the price covers things like the Canadian Quality Milk Program. It requires dairy farmers to adhere to a strict set of standard operating procedures. It also requires farmers to record all of their drug treatments.

A validator visits individual farms to make sure farmers respect the rules. Farms that fail the inspection are revoked of their milk licence. Black was pleased to say his farm was validated last March.

“If they want farms in Canada that are sustainable, that go by the environmental rules and all the food safety rules, you better support your Canadian farmers,” said Black.

And that means paying a higher price for milk.