Cows don’t notice coronavirus; they just keep on making milk (and, in SAb Biotherapeutics’ lab, maybe supercow antibodies to help us beat the pandemic). Here in South Dakota, cows made more milk in April than they did the previous April:
Milk production in South Dakota during April 2020 totaled 241 million pounds, up 7 percent from April 2019, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. The average number of milk cows was 129,000 head, 6,000 head more than April 2019. Milk production per cow averaged 1,870 pounds [USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, “South Dakota Milk Production” (April 2020), 2020.05.20].
Fat lot of good that additional 7% production did them. USDA data show that Chicago Mrecantile prices for milk in April down 9% from April 2019, 500-pound barrels of cheddar down 33% (pause to contemplate 500 pounds of cheese and what you would do with a barrel of cheddar), and butter down 47%. Meanwhile, retail prices for milk were 6% higher than last year; other dairy products cost us 3% more at the store.
Cheese and butter producers tell USDA they saw increased demand last week, thanks to food service reopening amidst the pandemic.
Prices to farmers down. Costs to consumers up. Big Ag scammers don’t let a little thing like a pandemic and looming depression stop them from hitting people as hard as they can.