US dairy cattle getting forced into abbatoirs

Hundreds of thousands of America's dairy cows are being turned into hamburgers because milk prices have dropped so low that farmers can no longer afford to feed the animals. Chicago Tribune reports that dairy farmers say they have little choice but to sell part of their herds for slaughter because they face a perfect economic storm. Prices for milk now are about half what it costs farmers to produce the staple, and consumer prices are falling. Unless the market can be bolstered, industry officials project that more than 1.5 million of the nation's 9.3 million milking cows could be slaughtered this year. "This could destroy our dairy infrastructure," said Michael Marsh, CEO of the Western United Dairymen trade association. Three months ago, mature milkers would sell for $2,500 to another dairy, but with nobody buying, dairymen are selling them on the beef market for about $1,100 each. The 262,500 cows slaughtered nationally in January is 43,500 more than in January 2008. If milk was worth something, they'd be keeping them," said Jon Dolieslager, owner of the Tulare County Stockyard in the heart of California dairy country. Some dairymen have become so desperate that they are not even bothering to haul to feedlots the newborns whose births keep milk flowing at higher levels. As of 2 February, the price farmers receive for a gallon of milk has been 80 cents a gallon, less than half the $1.65 a gallon the California Department of Food and Agriculture estimates it costs to produce.  "I don't ever remember being able to produce milk at that price," said dairyman Ray Souza, who got into the business in 1963. Reports out of Australia suggest the same as dairy farmers battling droughts, floods and fire are adjusting their numbers to keep cost to a minimum to survive. The editor has noted an increase in cows being culled in NZ too at saleyards and the works, as farmers are altering the stocking rate to lower winter grazing costs.