A national milk-carton shortage sours America’s dairy industry
“THEY KEPT saying, ‘oh, it’s going to be coming’,” remembers Scott Stoner of Cream-O-Land, a dairy supplier. It was early September, just as many schools in America’s north-east were reopening after the summer break. He had not received deliveries of milk cartons. He quickly used up all his stock.
Cream-O-Land and many other dairy processors have run out of, or have a severe shortage of, half-pint (237ml) and 4oz cartons. Milk itself is not lacking. The problem is with the size of cartons used by care homes, hospitals, prisons, cruise ships and schools.
School districts are scrambling. Federal regulations created by the Department of Agriculture (USDA) require milk to be offered at school during breakfast and lunch. Programmes that go back to the 1950s were designed to improve children’s nutrition. For some pupils, school is the only place they receive dairy food. Districts are reimbursed for each half-pint of milk offered to pupils at low or no cost. They also provide a handy outlet for agricultural surpluses. Milk can arrive in schools as quickly as 72 hours after leaving the farm.
2023-11-30 10:24:54
Source from www.economist.com
rnrn
A national milk-carton shortage sours America’s dairy industry
“THEY KEPT saying, ‘oh, it’s going to be coming’,” remembers Scott Stoner of Cream-O-Land, a dairy supplier. It was early September, just as many schools in America’s north-east were reopening after the summer break. He had not received deliveries of milk cartons. He quickly used up all his stock.
Cream-O-Land and many other dairy processors have run out of, or have a severe shortage of, half-pint (237ml) and 4oz cartons. Milk itself is not lacking. The problem is with the size of cartons used by care homes, hospitals, prisons, cruise ships and schools.
School districts are scrambling. Federal regulations created by the Department of Agriculture (USDA) require milk to be offered at school during breakfast and lunch. Programmes that go back to the 1950s were designed to improve children’s nutrition. For some pupils, school is the only place they receive dairy food. Districts are reimbursed for each half-pint of milk offered to pupils at low or no cost. They also provide a handy outlet for agricultural surpluses. Milk can arrive in schools as quickly as 72 hours after leaving the farm.
2023-11-30 10:24:54
Source from www.economist.com
rnrn