Dairy farmers explain why milk prices continue to increase

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Dairy farmers from around middle Georgia stopped in Macon on Wednesday to talk about the importance of dairy farming in the state. 

The Georgia Farm Bureau hosted farmers to kick off Dairy Month in June.

Farmers say the demand for milk fluctuates, and sometimes trouble exporting products to other countries causes the milk prices to increase.

One farmer says exporting issues aren’t the only reason prices go up.

“A lot of dairy men are selling cows that aren’t producing as much as they’d like for them to produce right now. And beef prices are high, so they’re selling them and cow numbers are just not there so milk is hanging high,” Emory Young, a dairy farmer from Washington County said.

He says he’s had to sell 30 cows in 2014 just because the demand for beef. 

Officials expect milk prices to continue to rise.