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Wisconsin’s Brancel searching for milk processors

Wisconsin Ag Secretary Ben Brancel says the department is working to help dairy producers affected by the cutbacks at Grassland Dairy Products of Wisconsin.  “We will do everything possible to find the resources that we believe is necessary to find a home for the milk, to do a lot of the legwork for those farmers.”

Brancel tells Brownfield he’s assigned more staff to help those farmers try to stay in business. “We have one individual that is doing nothing but making phone calls to processors, seeing what’s available.”

Greenwood-based Grassland Dairy Products has told nearly 75 Wisconsin dairy farmers it will stop picking up their milk next month because of lost ultra-filtered milk markets in Canada.

Canada is blocking U.S. dairy imports as part of their domestic supply management program.

The ag department’s Farm Center toll-free hotline has already heard from 44 of the affected producers. So far, Brancel says they haven’t found another milk processor willing to take the extra volume.  Brancel says the problem is compounded by the availability of a lot of milk from outside the state at very reduced prices.

The Wisconsin Farm Center’s toll-free number is (800) 942-2474.  Brancel says when farmers call the Farm Center, their information goes on a spreadsheet so milk handlers and state officials can reach them.