Dairy Industry Invests Billions in Infrastructure, but Labor Issues Loom

FD-TV’s own Tammi Arender caught up with Gregg Doud, President and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation.

ARLINGTON, TEXAS (RFD-TV) — Labor shortages continue to weigh heavily on America’s dairy producers. It is a major topic of discussion at this week’s dairy industry convention in Arlington, Texas. RFD-TV’s own Tammi Arender caught up with Gregg Doud, President and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation.

According to Doud, dairy’s labor crisis is not just a staffing issue — but rather one that threatens the entire supply chain. He said $11 billion will be invested in the U.S. dairy industry nationwide through new plants and expansions of existing plants.

When it comes to connecting with consumers, the dairy industry is blending the physical with the digital. Dairy Management Inc. President and CEO Barb O’Brien said this new approach is helping farmers and brands bridge the gap between online engagement and the purchase point.

O’Brien was one of the featured speakers at this week’s National Milk Producers Convention in Arlington, Texas.

Related Stories
Moderate oil prices may ease fuel costs, but continued caution in the energy sector could limit rural economic growth.
Decoupled base acres may amplify income inequality and distort planting decisions as farm program payments increase.
Ethanol and corn groups are not hiding their disappointment over new reports that the bill to allow year-round E15 sales failed as Congress forges ahead on government funding, with another shutdown looming.
Dairy farmer and Discover Ag co-host Tara Vander Dussen joined us to discuss the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, her experience at the signing, and what’s next for her family and farm.
The Farm Bureau is making an urgent call to Congress for more farm support. Colton Lacina with Farmers National Company joined us to discuss farmland values and how market dynamics for the year ahead reflect stabilization rather than collapse.
Analysts say a Supreme Court decision on tariffs could reshape protein markets, strain U.S.-China trade, and force farmers to rethink global demand strategies.

Tammi was raised on a cotton and soybean farm in Tallulah, Louisiana. In 1981, she became a TV news anchor and reporter at KNOE-TV in Monroe, Louisiana. She is also an anchor/reporter for RFD-TV and Rural Radio Channel 147 on Sirius XM at their Nashville news studio, where Tammi currently resides.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

The West Carroll Parish Ag Expo represents more than farming — it is about the future of agriculture, where tradition meets innovation, and where the backbone of Northeast Louisiana continues to thrive.
The Dairy Checkoff’s new approach to consumer marketing helps farmers bridge the gap between physical vs. digital touchpoints and deliver more end sales.
House lawmakers are expected to vote late this afternoon to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. The bill they are voting on includes some big priorities for Rural America.
It started as a simple service project for 4-H — collect some shoes, help a few people. But for Franklin Parish High School senior Eli Rogers, it has turned into something much bigger.
Bubba and Amy Miller run Miller Cattle Company in Eros, Louisiana. After visiting other homesteading fairs, they decided to put on their own.
Tammi Arender takes us to 3 Board Farm to meet some first-generation farmers who took a leap of faith and, in the process, found a new purpose.