Due to the rising cost of food, the government will support a planned increase in costs for the Nova Scotia School Milk Program to keep milk affordable for families when school starts in September.
“Rising food prices are a big challenge for many Nova Scotia families,” said Agriculture Minister Greg Morrow. We know that our dairy farmers and processors are also struggling with rising costs. By supporting the projected cost increase, we are supporting the industry while eliminating a back-to-school concern for parents. »
The price of milk is set by the Natural Products Marketing Council, an industry-led jurisdictional council. A price increase was scheduled for September 1, but the government agreed to meet the cost to save families money. Thus, the price of a 250 ml carton of milk at school will remain at 40 cents.
The cost associated with this increase is estimated at approximately $72,000, and is in addition to current costs, which range between $130,000 and $230,000 per full school year. These costs were reduced during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years due to school closures caused by the pandemic.
The costs of the Nova Scotia School Milk Program are shared between the Department of Agriculture and dairy producers and processors. Since 1974, the program has offered milk at a reduced price to K-12 students at participating public schools.
Source : Novascotia.ca