2012 may be tough for Pennsylvania's dairy producers
Posted: November 29, 2011
Suggested Intro:
THE DROUGHTS, FLOODS AND TORNADOES OF 2011 ARE NOW JUST A FADING MEMORY TO MOST AMERICANS. BUT AN AG ECONOMIST IN PENN STATE'S COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES SAYS THIS YEAR'S BAD WEATHER WILL IMPACT NEXT YEAR'S MILK SUPPLY. MORE FROM GARY ABDULLAH.
Story:
(:18) WHILE CURRENT MILK PRICES ARE STRONG, MOST PENNSYLVANIA DAIRY FARMERS ARE SCRAMBLING TO REPLACE FEED AND PASTURE CROPS LOST TO WEATHER THAT WENT FROM SOGGY SPRING TO KILLER HEAT WAVE TO FALL FLOODS. PENN STATE AG ECONOMIST JIM DUNN SAYS PRODUCERS WILL BE FORCED TO BUY FEED LIKE CORN SILAGE FROM NEARBY STATES FOR MOST OF 2012, WHILE PRODUCTS SUCH AS ALFALFA HAY WILL BE LOWER QUALITY:
Dunn Actuality:
(:19) "THE FEED THAT THE FARMERS HAVE ON HAND, EVEN IF IT'S ADEQUATE, IS NOT GOING TO BE VERY GOOD. AS THE SUMMER PROGRESSES NEXT YEAR, WE START TO GET HAY AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT THE CORN AND CORN SILAGE AREN'T AVAILABLE 'TIL NOVEMBER. SO, THEY'RE GOING TO BE STRUGGLING TO KEEP THE QUALITY OF THEIR MILK UP, THE PRODUCTION OF THEIR MILK UP AND THEIR BOTTOM LINE WELL SITUATED."
(:13) DUNN SAYS NORTHEASTERN DAIRY PRODUCERS WILL BE STRUGGLING WITH REDUCED PRODUCTION FOR MOST OF THE COMING YEAR BUT FARMERS IN THE WEST AND MIDWEST MAY BE ABLE TO PICK UP SOME OF THE SLACK. FROM PENN STATE, I’M GARY ABDULLAH.
