Borden’s Impending Plant Closure Leaves 100 School Districts Scrambling to Find Milk

Earlier this month, Borden Dairy Co. announced its plans to close two of its southern plants – one in Dothan, Ala. and the other in Hattiesburg, Miss. – by Sept. 30. According to an Alabama news report, the reason for the plant closure is that “[The company] could no longer support continued production.”

Now, with schools back in session, more than 100 school districts throughout Alabama are scrambling to find a new milk supplier for school lunch programs.

“The closure of Borden Dairy plants in Dothan, AL and Hattiesburg, MS on September 30, 2022, will impact more than 100 public school districts, charter schools, and government agencies throughout the state of Alabama who participates in the National School Lunch Program. These sponsors serve over 736,000 half pint cartons of milk to more than 422,000 students each week,” said Julie Autrey with the Alabama State Department of Education’s Child Nutrition Program.

Borden says it will continue to supply schools with milk until they shut their doors next month. However, the state department of education says it is working with vendors to provide an alternative shelf-stable milk, which is projected to arrive at a north Alabama supplier the week of Sept. 5. Child Nutrition Program directors are also working with The Dairy Alliance to locate dairy producers who may be available to provide milk in their area, according to Alabama News.

“This milk issue along with other supply chain disruptions, an increase in food prices and staff shortages due to COVID outbreaks have caused significant hardship on the local Child Nutrition Program operators as they work hard to serve all students the healthiest meals possible this school year,” Autrey says.