Dairy Producers Can Highlight Successes In The Face Of Challenges

The Northwest dairy industry faces a host of challenges.  The number one challenge, according to Bryce Chambers, Director of Industry Relations at Dairy West, rising input costs across the board.

“Not just with labor, but with feed," Chambers said.  "It touches every input cost that they have that is extremely challenging to navigate some of those costs that are uncontrollable.”

From there, Chambers says producers face challenges when it comes to workforce development and environmental stewardship.

“In the processing community as well as the consumers, those are two things that the paradigm shift has shifted away from the animal well-being that is, you know, more become a benchmark standard," Chamber said.  "And the conversation is now shifting more towards what are you doing from a sustainability perspective? And what are you doing with your workforce? And I think that's the biggest challenge that our farmers are facing right now, but is also a great opportunity that they are environmental stewards and they are doing a great job taking care of their workforce.”

Chambers says this is where he thinks the industry, and individual producers, have the opportunity to highlight what dairy farmers have been doing and what they are doing right now in these two key areas.

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