Cautious Outlook for Dairy Farmers in 2016

It could be another tough year for Wisconsin’s dairy farmers because milk prices remain low.

Wisconsin Dairy Business Association executive director Tim Trotter says the industry is definitely in a “soft market” right now.

Milk used to make cheese is $14.44 per hundred pounds, down 19 percent from a year ago and 41 percent from a September 2014 peak.

The cautious forecast for 2016 is because the United States has too much milk, partly from dairy farms expanding herds during high prices in 2014.

The Journal Sentinel says there has also been a sharp drop in dairy product exports and a steady decline in sales of milk as a beverage.

The association’s annual conference in Madison wraps up Thursday.