The Rising Price of Milk

It appears that the saying, " don't cry over spilled milk" may not be appropriate any more. I went into the grocery store yesterday to pick up a few items. One of these items happened to be milk. My mother in law had mentioned to me about the price going up but I really didn't think much about it because if something goes up a few cents she thinks it is a travesty. Of course she is on a limited income so must watch her pennies. A price hike on anything throws her budget out of whack.

Gathering my purchases I walk down the last aisle to get the milk. I was in shock at the price. $4.59 for a gallon of milk? Just a few weeks ago it was on sale 2 gallons for $5.00. What happened? I turned to my husband and told him this is the reason there are children with malnutrition issues. The parents can't even afford to buy them a gallon of milk. I was infuriated.

After doing a little research I found some interesting articles that pertain to the increase in the price of milk. In the business section of the Boston Herald the article stated that the increase in milk was due to the popularity of lattes and cheeseburgers, which are becoming popular around Asia.

In 2004, from an article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette it was said that the price increase was to be blamed on the popularity of the high-protein, low carb diet. This diet apparently, had led farmers to send their dairy cows to market to cash in on the higher beef prices at that time. I mention this article due to the fact that I find it interesting that they blame dieters for the price increase.

In July, Dennis Anderson, editor of the Lawrence Jounal-World did an interview with Mike Brouk, Kansas State University dairy researcher with the Animal Sciences and Industry Department. In this interview Mike Brouk stated that an increase in the demand for milk and dairy products has caused the increase in price.