Report: Wisconsin Loses Almost 400 Dairy Farms in Last Year

Nearly 400 dairy farms went out of business in Wisconsin last year.

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DT_Milking_Equipment_Empty_Parlor.JPG

A report from the federal Agriculture Department shows that Wisconsin lost almost 400 dairy farms in the last year, though one official says the news isn’t all that bad.

Wisconsin Public Radio reports that about 94,000 dairy herds were active in the state as of Oct. 1 — 4 percent less than in 2015.

Wisconsin Dairy Business Association President Gordon Speirs says the number of lost farms this year is low compared to previous years, when annual losses reached as high as 1,000. He says that’s “a real victory for our industry” given low milk prices in the past year and a half.

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