Coronavirus Hits Dairy Industry Hard

The coronavirus has delivered a severe blow to Wisconsin dairy farmers who rely on selling milk to restaurants, schools and the hospitality industry.Reports say about one-third of Wisconsin dairy products, mainly cheese, are sold in the food service trade.Farmers say the coronavirus outbreak has caused milk prices to drop to unprofitable levels this spring, at a time when money is needed for the upcoming planting season.Dairy farmers are worried about processing plants closing or cutting production, forcing them to dump milk. One cooperative recently asked its members to reduce the amount of milk they produce, citing “the extreme nature of the coronavirus situation and the impact on the economy. Milk prices had been slowly returning to profitable levels last  month.