Farms.com Home   News

Ontario Dairy Farmers Drained Thousands of Litres of Milk After Holiday Storm

Dairy farmers across Ontario are facing thousands of dollars in losses after a massive winter storm that shut down roads starting Dec. 23, preventing drivers from picking up milk and forcing farmers to drain their supply.

Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO), which represents the province's 3,300 licensed dairy producers, issued a statement on Dec. 24, notifying farmers of dangerous road conditions and asking them to dispose of milk that wouldn't be able to be picked up by drivers.

"A cow produces milk whether it's stormy, whether it's sunny. She is always producing milk, and that milk has to go somewhere," said Andrew Campbell, a Strathroy, Ont., farmer who lost roughly 5,000 litres of uninsured milk on Saturday, worth about $4,000.

The dairy industry is tightly regulated in Ontario. All fresh milk is sold to DFO, which then handles transportation, processing, pasteurization, and distribution.

Refrigerated trucks come to farms to pick up milk every 48 hours, which is why farms usually only have storage space for slightly more than 48 hours' worth of product, Campbell said.

Click here to see more...

Trending Video

How to keep Livestock Waterer from Freezing!!!

Video: How to keep Livestock Waterer from Freezing!!!

How to keep Livestock Waterer from Freezing!!! | | Life On A Manitoba Farm