4-23-20 buying surplus dairy

This was supposed to be a rebound year for dairy farmers after several down years.   But because of the coronavirus pandemic, farmers are sitting  on product that can’t go to restaurants and other customers shut down by the crisis.  Kara O’Connor of the Wisconsin Farmers Union says federal ag officials buying up commodity products like butter and cheese need to make sure they are used.    Meanwhile, farmers are encouraged to research resources that offer guidance on ways to get their products into the hands of people who will take it.  Margaret Krome of the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute says there’s a lot of innovation out there.   The groups acknowledge that isn’t easy for farmers to quickly change their production facilities to serve new customers.  That’s another area in which they say policymakers can provide help.