Year Of Volatility For Dairy Farmers

Dairy Farmers of Canada says 2020 was a year of volatility.

 

Vice President David Wiens made the comments during his year-end interview.

 

"It started off back in March, when they first started to close things down," he said. "When that happened, there was this immediate spike in demand, especially for fluid milk right then, and then a couple of weeks later, the demand started to go down and as we learnt, a bit later, was because the food service industry was shutting down as well, particularly restaurants and hotels."

 

Wiens says demand for dairy picked up later in the year.

 

"Over the summer and into fall now we've seen a steady increase in demand. It's been a year of volatility for us, especially earlier on. Back in spring we reduced production very quickly to match the demand and since then we have been increasing our production and of course that all takes a while because with cows, when you reduce production, you can not just immediately, on the spur of the moment, go back to where you were."

Video: Agriculture Enlightened 2026

Agtech is a rapidly expanding sector in Canada. At Agriculture Enlightened, you’ll hear from leading voices on the innovation, issues, and ideas that are helping to grow Canada’s position as a global leader in agtech, and meet the needs of an evolving global population. Experience a day of engaging sessions that delve into emerging topics across the agri-food value chain, and participate in a unique opportunity to network with a broad spectrum of leaders in the digital agriculture sector.