Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) has called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to take immediate action to address the national milk carton shortage impacting dairy farmers and schools in New York and across the country. The shortage, which is not due to a lack of milk but rather a supply chain problem with cardboard cartons, has the potential to disrupt school lunch programs and harm New York’s dairy industry.
Schumer is urging the USDA to:
- Provide technical support to dairy farmers to help them navigate the shortage
- Work with industry leaders to find creative solutions to get milk to schools
- Investigate the causes of the shortage to prevent future disruptions
“Milk is an essential part of our students’ school lunches and the lifeblood of our Upstate NY agricultural economy,” Schumer said. “Now is the time for the USDA to step up to ensure our farmers get more support to continue their essential work.”
The Upstate Niagara Cooperative, a major supplier of half-pint milk cartons, is among those feeling the impact of the shortage. The co-op has been forced to seek alternative solutions, such as switching other institutions to larger milk containers, in order to meet schools’ demand.
“We are encouraged by our team’s efforts to continue to supply our milk to our school customers,” said John T. Gould, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc. “It has required hard work, coordination, and cooperation to meet their needs.”
The shortage is also affecting school districts across the state. The Monroe County School Boards Association is working with its members to find solutions to ensure that schools continue to receive enough milk.
“We want to thank Senator Schumer for his advocacy on behalf of our schools and students,” said Amy Thomas, Executive Director of the Monroe County School Boards Association. “Our districts are working diligently along with our dairy suppliers to find solutions to this shortage, and we are grateful for Senator Schumer’s efforts to ensure these disruptions are addressed.”
Schumer is also calling on the USDA to investigate the causes of the shortage to prevent future disruptions. He noted that New York is the fifth-largest producer of milk in the country and that the dairy industry is a vital part of the state’s economy.
“Given the potential downstream impacts of disruptions to the milk packaging supply chain, we also need the USDA to investigate the causes of this carton shortage to determine how we can avoid further disruptions to our dairy farmers and any further steps we can be taking to mitigate problems of this nature in the future,” Schumer said.
Schumer’s call to action comes as the dairy industry faces a number of challenges, including low milk prices and increased competition from plant-based milk alternatives.
“We must do everything we can to support our dairy farmers and ensure that they continue to provide our schools and families with the healthy milk they need,” Schumer said. “I urge the USDA to take immediate action to address this shortage and protect our dairy industry.“
