Can industry's infrastructure handle the load?
Posted by Susan Ponsolle on 02-21-07
The supply of organic milk
is expected to spike in 2007 due to a one-year grace period on a federal rule
change that mandates dairy farmers use 100 percent organic feed.
For years, farmers looking to move to organic milk have been able to feed cows
80 percent organic feed and 20 percent conventional feed in the year before they
become certified as organic farmers -- an allowance that brought transition
costs down since organic feed can be 40 to 50 percent more expensive.
But last June, the Department of Agriculture mandated that starting in one
year, farmers would have to use 100 percent organic feed in that final
transition year to become certified.
Farmers saw a pricier transition ahead and many made sure they could be
certified before June 2007 so that the rule would not apply.
The result is an expected 70 percent increase in organic milk as the newly
certified farms come on line and begin shipping the product, said Ed Maltby,
Executive Director of the Northeast Organic Dairy Producer's Alliance.
"Processors say they're bringing more facilities online to deal with supply," he said, but added, "I don't think their infrastructure will be able to handle it."
Write a comment