VICTORIA — B.C. dairy farmers have begun dumping out raw milk on their farms— despite rising demand and sales — because of problems getting the milk into the supply chain and to grocery stores during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The B.C. Dairy Association confirmed to Postmedia News on Monday that B.C. farmers have been disposing of 50,000 to 60,000 litres of milk a day that could otherwise have been processed and sold to customers.
“Our first day of on-farm disposal was Friday,” said Jeremy Dunn, association general manager. “The four or five days before, there was some cream being disposed of in anaerobic digesters.”
Farmers are disheartened as they watch usable milk, which they know consumers want to buy, poured out into manure piles, said Dunn. Similar troubles are plaguing dairies across Canada and the United States.
“There is enough milk, the challenge is getting it to people,” said Dunn.
