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Times have been tough lately for dairy farmers, on many fronts. Milk prices this winter have sunk to levels that make it all but impossible for most producers to pencil out a profit. With milk processors at capacity or ramping up milk quality requirements, a handful of producers have nowhere to go with their milk and few good options.

Meanwhile, the milk supply continues to increase as efficiency gains are made on farms and milk per cow rises, and that doesn’t look to let up anytime soon. U.S. milk production is expected to increase 1.5 percent per year through 2027, according to long-term projection reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This would boost milk production to more than 250 billion pounds over the next decade — up almost 35 billion pounds from last year’s record output.

  

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