Secretary of Agriculture: Pennsylvania’s Milk Supply is Strong, Choose PA Dairy
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding encouraged Pennsylvanians to continue supporting the commonwealth's dairy farmers by purchasing milk and other dairy products produced locally. While the Department of Agriculture continues to advocate for Pennsylvania's dairy farm families, farmers rely on direct support from consumers purchasing their products after the loss of two critical markets for fluid dairy and dairy products with the necessary closure of schools and restaurants statewide.
"Like so many parts of our lives together, this pandemic has flipped the dairy supply chain on its head," said Secretary Redding. "It's a complicated set of factors that's put a kink in the supply chain. While the department works to advocate for the industry, consumers can keep drinking milk and eating cheese or ice cream."
From disruptions to retail food service and school distribution, to panic buying, limited cold storage, and a decrease in exports, dairy farmers in Pennsylvania and across the nation are experiencing a radical disruption to normal rates of supply and demand.
How can consumers help?
- Keep buying milk and other dairy products,
- Specifically, make a conscious effort to look for PA products with a plant code '42' or the PA Preferred logo,
- If you see a store limiting milk sales, take a picture, note the location, date, and time and send to Beth Meyer atbmeyer@milk4u.org.
"I urge Pennsylvanians to look for Pennsylvania produced dairy products at the store; look for plant code '42' or the PA Preferred®logo," added Redding. "Make an active effort to choose Pennsylvania dairy products and support Pennsylvania farmers. Our dairy farmers have always been there for us, and now they need consumers to be there for them. We're all in this together."
For a more detailed account ofwhat's going on with Pennsylvania dairy, visit the department's blogFood for Thought.