News

Australian fires could mean milk shortages

Bush fires stretching across more than 15 million acres of Australia are threatening the country’s dairy industry.

Two main dairy producing regions in Victoria and New South Wales, which produce about a third of the country’s milk, have been heavily burned.  Fires have damaged both pastures and infrastructure limiting farmers’ ability to milk, transport and process products.

Milk production had been forecast at a 22-year low for this year because of drought and the full extent of cattle losses have yet to be calculated but it could be in the thousands.