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Dairy processing grows by more than $130 billion in impact

The International Dairy Foods Association says the economic impact of the dairy processing sector in the U.S. makes up three percent of the country’s GDP.

“The numbers tell the story of a pretty vibrant and strong industry that’s contributing a lot to this economy.”

Dave Carlin tells Brownfield their biannual report Dairy Delivers showed growth at the end of last year for all sectors including milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, and specialty dairy products with the total economic impact at nearly $753 billion, up from $620 billion in 2019. 

“I don’t know if it’s COVID related or it’s just the overall trend, but the trend in general for dairy has been very positive over the past 20 or 30 years,” he says.

The report also found dairy processing is responsible for $6.5 billion in exports.