Cooperative offers stressed dairy farmers incentive to quit

A Wisconsin creamery cooperative is offering dairy farmers an incentive to quit an industry stung first by years of low milk prices and n by coronavirus. A letter from Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery board of directors to members offers to pay ir equity in cooperative from 2010 to 2019 if farmers meet certain criteria, WSAW-TV reported.

“We kw we have farmers that are t sure wher y are going to exit farming this year or next year,” cooperative spokesman Paul Bauer said. “We felt that this was a way to incent our farmers to exit business, perhaps a little earlier than what y expected, for betterment of entire patron base.”

Paul LIppert, who runs a Wood County dairy farm with his far and bror, said cooperative is trying to help its farmers. He said re’s “a glut of milk” and it doesn’t look like ” things are going to get better very quickly.”

COVID-19 pandemic has added to industry’s troubles. Several farms throughout Wisconsin have been asked to dispose of ir milk while production plants struggle to keep up with milk that is being produced.