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DFA members expect to benefit from processing innovations

Dairy Farmers of America says new processing investments will help create more innovative products for consumers and better returns for farmer-owners.

Kristen Coady tells Brownfield last year’s acquisitions of plants in Richmond, Indiana, and Pacific, Missouri will help the company offer dairy foods that last longer in the fridge and provide additional health benefits. “We just launched Good Culture probiotic milk that’s extended shelf life that offers lactose-free milk in an extended shelf-life form as well as some added probiotics,” she shares.

Coady says other recent expansions have taken place at their Zumbrota, Minnesota facility which added a specialty dryer to help meet domestic and international taste preferences.

The Cooperative reported a net income of nearly $108 million last year with net sales totaling $24.5 billion for 2022, nearly a 30 percent increase.

The average price paid to DFA farmer-owners was $25.53 per hundredweight in 2022, compared to $18.37 in 2021.