Milk To Market

How will the U.S. dairy industry look under deregulation? How has California become the nation's leading dairy producer? Why have consumers preferred the real thing over artificial dairy products? This book will help readers make sense of the American dairy business, whose complexities and eccentricities so often seem to defy understanding. On the brink of far-reaching changes in federal dairy policy, it gives a much-needed account of how market forces and government intervention drive the most regulated and complicated agricultural industry in the United States. The first comprehensive book on the topic,Marketing and Pricing of Milk and Dairy Products in the U.S. considers every aspect of this complicated puzzle. Looking at dairy products from milk and yogurt to butter, cheese, and ice cream, it explains supply and demand, dairy cooperatives, federal milk marketing orders and price supports, local and state regulations, and international trade. Finally, in a clear and compelling manner, the author proposes reforms that would benefit the dairy industry, especially a move toward less regulation.

Examines certain aspects of milk marketing & pricing in the U.S. It provides information on the entities that handle fluid milk from the time it leaves the farm to the time it is sold to the consumer, including regional variations. This report provides updated information on (1) price indexes at farm, processor, & retail levels for milk, processed dairy products, & cheese for Dec. 1990 through Sep. 1997, (2) data for dairy cooperatives' announced Class I prices & retail milk prices for 28 cities for Jan. 1991 through Sep. 1997, & (3) the results of a study of changes in retail prices for dairy products & 8 other food groups. Charts & tables.

This report provides a brief description of the marketing of fresh (or fluid) milk, of the cost of performing the various marketing operations, and of variations in these costs and in the price spread between farmers and consumers.

Milk is considered as a complete diet for an infant and contains essential nutrients for the development of young mammals. The substances in milk provide energy and antibodies that help protect against infection. Most farmers are paid for the quality and composition of their milk. Whole milk, once approved for use, is pumped into storage silos where it undergoes pasteurization, homogenization, separation, and further processing. Milk is a highly perishable commodity because it is an excellent medium for the growth of microorganisms - particularly bacterial pathogens - that can cause spoilage as well as diseases in consumers. Milk processing allows the preservation of milk for days, weeks, or months and helps to reduce food-borne illness.