Fluid milk sales are on the decline in the US, indicating that, maybe, American consumers just aren’t that into cow’s milk anymore.
According to Hoard’s Dairyman, a national dairy farm magazine, the fluid milk movement is at an all-time low in the US. But at the same time, the amount of milk in the Federal Milk Marketing Orders (FMMO) is climbing higher. The latter is a program designed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to ensure that dairy farmers in certain geographical areas across the country receive a fair price for their milk.
In June 2022, the USDA commented that the decline in fluid milk consumption was likely due to a change in dietary habits, as “individuals are drinking less milk on average.”
Dairy farms are also frequently closing up shop. Earlier this year, it was revealed that in Wisconsin, where dairy is a major industry, around 10,000 dairy farms have been lost in the last two decades. In the last year alone, the state lost 400 dairy farms. Across the US as a whole, there are now less than 30,000 dairy farms.
On the flip side: growth in the plant-based milk market
The market for plant-based milk, on the other hand, seems to be growing. Food Navigator reports that while there was a small dip in sales over the last three quarters, this can likely be attributed to rising prices in general across the food industry.
According to Bethany Gomez, the managing director of consumer insight platform The Brightfield Group, growth in the plant-based milk sector is helping other dairy-free categories to grow, too. “People who have consumed plant-based milk are more than twice as likely to purchase plant-based cheese, yogurt, and ice cream,” she explained in a recent webinar for Food Navigator.
Source: vegnews.com
Photo Credit: istock-TanyaSid
Categories: Wisconsin, Livestock, Dairy Cattle