Nebraska, the next dairy Nebraska, the next dairy

The dairy industry in Nebraska has struggled for years because of a lack of processing opportunities for producers. The Alliance for the Future of Agriculture in Nebraska (AFAN), along with others on the Grow Nebraska Dairy team, have been working relentlessly to recruit processing to the state of Nebraska to help current producers but also to attract additional dairy producers from out of state.

This past year we have made great progress in increasing our dairy processing infrastructure. Milk Specialties Global recently invested $45 million in their

Norfolk plant which will increase capacity to 2.5 million pounds of raw milk per day. Currently, Nebraska dairy farmers produce 4 million pounds of milk per day meaning that the expansion of Milk Specialties in Norfolk will demand over half of our existing production. On top of this, Nebraska is high on the list with several other milk processing companies.

It should come as no surprise that some states (think the west coast) have codified legislative policies that are crippling their ag producers, forcing them to look for new opportunities. Our group has received more calls

by Rylee Stoltz

main street and create a need for additional goods and services. The benefits don’t stop at main street, grain farmers have an opportunity to reap benefits from a dairy as well. Partnering with a local dairy could add an additional $500 per acre to a grain farmer’s bottom line! Both parties reap the most benefits when a grain farmer can sell their crops directly to a dairy producer and the grain farmer is able to use the manure on their fields.