The Slow Squeeze on Small-Scale Dairy Farmers
The image of a small dairy — sun-drenched fields, clinking milk cans, hand-cut cheeses — remains powerful. But the reality for small-scale dairy processors, those handling less than 1,000 litres of milk a day, is far less idyllic. Consumers may crave farm-fresh authenticity, but rising costs are quietly forcing small dairies out of the market. Skyrocketing prices for feed, fuel, and equipment repairs hit hardest at this scale. Unlike industrial farms, they can’t negotiate bulk discounts or absorb economic shocks. Every unexpected expense…