Farmers plan "Dump the Milk" protest on July 4
Story Created:
Jun 21, 2010 at 11:49 AM EST
Story Updated:
Jun 21, 2010 at 6:00 PM EST
WEST WINFIELD, N.Y. (WKTV) - David and Robin Fitch say dairy farmers lose hundreds of thousands of dollars a year on milk because they are not being paid a fair price for what they produce.
The West Winfield couple and fellow dairy farm owners say no one is listening to their needs now, but may after farmers across the country dump a days worth of milk away.
The Fitches own and operate the Swiss Hill Farm in West Winfield.
According to Robin Fitch, she and her husband have talked to dairy farmers across the country on a daily basis, all of whom are struggling just like them.
The Fitches say they lose about $10,000 a month because they are not being paid anywhere near what it costs them to produce milk.
According to David Fitch, a USDA report showed in 2009 that it cost farmers, on average, $24.84 to produce milk. The same report showed that farmers would only receive $13.01 in return when they sold the milk, Fitch said.
On July 4, 2010, a protest is planned where dairy farmers around the country are expected to dump their milk and not sell it at all.
"We just need to make the farmers realize it is our government and our Co-Ops that have put us against each other," said Robin Fitch. "It is not farmer to farmer. Our heart goes out to every one of them. We are not in it to save our farm. Our big goal is to save all American farms."
According to Robin Fitch, there are farmers across the country who have already pledged to join in the protest which is being dubbed "Dump The Milk" day.
The Fitches say that on the day of the dump, they will lose about $2,000.
The Fitches say a short term fix for farmers would be a "floor price" for milk - which would mean a minimum price that the farmers would be paid for what they produce. They have tried to get that done through the Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack but to no avail yet, said Robin Fitch.
In response to the protest a spokesman for the USDA chairman said he is working on a solution.
"Secretary Vilsack has convened a Dairy Industry Advisory Committee to evaluate and provide recommendations on ways to reduce and potentially eliminate the boom and bust cycles." said Justin DeJong Press Secretary, USDA Office of Communications
Most dairy farmers in the Mohawk Valley NEWSChannel 2 talked with Monday agreed that the milk prices are outrageously low as far as the return rate the farmers are seeing. However not all agreed this type of protest is the right choice.
Leland Collins says in 85 years of farming he never dumped his milk, even when times were bad, because he needed the money.
"I mean I had bills to pay, I had to pay them." said Collins.
A spokesman for the New York State Farm Bureau says the organization does not take a stance on the "dump the Milk" protest. Peter Gregg says farmers have been struggling without any help for close to three years, but the protest is an "independent effort".
The Fitch family says they are not doing this just for them, but for dairy farmers and consumers everywhere.
"If all the farms go out of business they will import more of our dairy products from other countries that just don't have the safe standards we have in this country." said David Fitch
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