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Farmers Dump Milk as Coronavirus Impacts US Dairy Industry

Dairy farmers in Georgia, Wisconsin, and Minnesota have reported dumping thousands of gallons of milk as the effects of the coronavirus pandemic hit the US dairy industry.

This footage was shared by Laura Johnson of Providence Dairy, a farm with 1,200 cows based in Climax, Georgia. Johnson told Storyful they had been forced to dump four tanker-loads of milk by April 5.

A group of dairy organizations wrote a letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to ask the US Department of Agriculture to help the dairy industry amid the closure of businesses and the widespread stay-at-home orders.

Providence Dairy wrote on Facebook, "It makes me sick to see the waste but all of the stores are full and there is no market for it now.

“Sadly this will be happening to Dairy Farms all over at some point. Pray for the dairy industry, and pray for all farmers. We need them now more than ever.”

The dairy industry is just one of the major food producers in the US impacted by the pandemic. The Miami Herald reported that the shutdown of the hospitality industry has forced vegetable growers to dump large parts of their harvests. Credit: Providence Dairy via Storyful