As Supply Dwindles, Organic Milk Gets Popular
Outlook is not so good for consumers who only buy organic milk as supplies are dwindling in some areas. The New York Times has the story:
There is a shortage of organic milk across the country, and it has become so bad in areas like the Southeast that Publix stores from Florida to Tennessee have put up signs in dairy cases anticipating the shopper’s frustrated refrain: “Where’s my organic milk?”
The answer is that there is not enough to go around, and starting next month consumers can expect to see a sharp jump in price as well.
The main reason for the shortage is that the cost of organic grain and hay to feed cows has gone up sharply while the price that farmers receive for their milk has not. That means that farmers feed their cows less, resulting in lower milk production. At the same time, fewer farmers have been converting from conventional dairying to organic.
