Liquid milk prices are guided by the United States Department of Agriculture, under the federal milk order, but Dibbell contends that dairy cooperatives and mis-guided government policies are keeping farmers from getting fair, market-based returns on their milk.

“Cooperatives are not working for the farmers like they should,” Dibbell said, arguing that the disparity between what farmers are getting paid by processors, and what consumers are paying for milk, is a three-fold difference that is essentially unaccounted for. He believes the cooperatives – brokers who sell product to dairy processors on behalf of the farmers – are either not advocating enough for small dairy farmers, or they’re exploiting them.

Source: The Evening Sun