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
“I think there’s a number of attributes of the Southern Plains that have been very attractive. One is land availability, the ability to grow feed on that land”
In today’s Firm to Farm blog post, RFD-TV ag law expert Roger McEowen briefly examines several of the issues that farmers and ranchers face.
A five-year-old in Etheridge, Tennessee, lost his life in a grain auger. His mother shares her story to ensure that other farm families do not have to endure that pain. RFD-TV’s own Tammi Arender reports.
RFD-TV Agricultural Law & Taxation expert Roger McEowen discusses the Supreme Court’s recent repeal of the Chevron agreement and other current topics in ag law.
Eleven states have confirmed cases of High-Path Avian Flu (HPAI H5N1) in dairy herds, with the latest confirmed outbreak coming out of Minnesota.
With ransomware and other cybersecurity threats on the rise, the U.S. Small Business Association wants to help bolster the resources available to farmers and other rural Americans who operate small businesses.

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 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.
Bright Star Ranch continues to offer hope, connection, and healing through its equine therapy programs.