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Dairy industry tells House committee Michigan ranks sixth in milk production; industry backs pasteurization, cites processing expansions
Summary
United Dairy Industry of Michigan and processors told the House Agriculture Committee that Michigan has about 850 dairy farms and roughly 440,000 cows, contributes about $15.7 billion to the state economy, supports pasteurization and reported recent processing expansions (Constantine, Ovid, Remus) and new cottage-cheese capacity.
Jolene Griffin, vice president of industry relations with United Dairy Industry of Michigan, told the House Agriculture Committee that Michigan's dairy sector includes roughly 850 farms and about 440,000 cows and that the state ranks sixth in milk production and first in milk per cow. Griffin said the dairy community contributes more than $15.7 billion to the state economy and highlighted the role of processing plants and local supply chains in keeping product and value in Michigan.
Griffin emphasized food safety and industry support for pasteurization. "Absolutely not. Raw milk should not be available for consumption," she said when asked whether raw milk should be sold to consumers, citing pasteurization's long record of protecting public health and noting Michigan's 1948 pasteurization requirement and the 1987 federal ban on interstate raw-milk shipments to consumers.
The committee also heard from processors. Ben Chapin of Michigan Milk Producers Association said the cooperative markets billions of pounds of milk annually and described processing expansions in Constantine, Ovid and the recently purchased Remus plant; he explained an ultrafiltration process whose permeate will be distilled into ethanol for use as aviation-grade fuel. Eric Crawford of Country Fresh said his company has recently doubled cottage-cheese capacity in response to rising demand and stressed that processors are turning down business because capacity currently lags demand in some product lines.
Members questioned the panel about greenhouse-gas mitigation, fertilizer and shipping cost pressures, school milk policy and price effects. Griffin cited life-cycle analyses, on-farm cover crops and existing digesters as mitigation tools and warned that current milk prices (the presenter cited about $16.50 per 100 pounds) are below many farms' estimated break-even levels (presenter cited roughly $20), increasing pressure on smaller operations.
The session closed after representatives' questions and the committee proceeded to adjourn.
