Aside from a shortfall of financial resources, several limitations exist for a big influx of domestic milk. “There is a ceiling on dairy expansion,” said the editor of the Daily Dairy Report.
That list of barriers to for a quick expansion of the U.S. milk supply include:
• Processing capacity
• Construction and supply chain bottlenecks
• Slow permitting process
• Environmental regulations
• Labor supply and overtime laws
• Water issues in the West
• Heifer supplies
“We have the lowest heifer inventories since 2005,” Sharp went on to say, citing higher heifer raising costs and more beef semen being used on dairy cows as two main reasons for the 17-year low in heifer inventories.
“Given all these factors, we will see milk production climb a little less drastically moving forward,” predicted the dairy market expert.