Milk cartons are in short supply nationwide, and New York could be particularly hard-hit. School districts, nursing homes, hospitals and prisons in the state have reported “milk supply chain challenges” that could cause the dairy product to disappear from the menus of many institutions in Ulster County and statewide.
The shortage is so alarming, two Republicans have issued a statement that in part accuses Democrats of being “anti-milk”. Milk has become a political issue as of late, with the dairy industry running advertisements during the latest Republican national debate promoting “real milk” over nut milk substitutes that are stereotypically favored more by Democrats.
“Let me be very clear; there is not a shortage of milk – there is a shortage of milk cartons,” said Schoharie state Assemblyman Chris Tague. “There are obvious solutions like opting for recyclable plastic bottles or dispensers and cups, but the anti-milk Democrats aren’t even attempting to implement these options. How we handle this shortage will set a precedent for the availability of milk in schools, and right now, it is not going in the right direction.”
U.S. Rep. Marc Molinaro of Catskill said in the statement: “We saw how disruptive the baby formula shortage was… If this supply chain disruption persists, it’s going to cause real harm for young people and local farmers.”
“I offered bipartisan legislation that could have prevented this crisis and strengthened our supply chain by helping businesses purchase new food processing, storage, and distribution facilities,”’ Molinaro said in the statement.
The milk carton shortage is part of the Covid lockdown hangover, which caused a plethora of supply chain issues, many of which persist to this day. Milk itself is not in short supply, but the packaging is. Pint and half-pint size cartons are both harder to come by and more expensive than in the past. Schools and other institutions are considering alternatives like using insulated thermal dispensers and cups for milk distribution, but this poses operational challenges and may result in slower serving times and increased waste.
Molianro, in a letter to the Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, urged him to use “any means at his disposal to swiftly provide relief and prevent a disruption like this from happening again.”
New York State’s dairy industry is a major contributor to its economy, being the fourth largest dairy state in the nation. With around 4,000 dairy farms, it produces over 15 billion pounds of milk annually. This sector not only leads the State’s agricultural output but also plays a significant role in the State’s overall economy. The dairy industry generates nearly half of New York’s total agricultural receipts and provides substantial economic multipliers for the State.
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