With a national milk carton shortage impacting dairy farmers and schools across New York State, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer is calling for action from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. On Monday, the New York Democrat urged the USDA to not only ensure that dairy farmers have the technical support they need to get through the shortage, but also work with industry leaders to devise creative solutions to get milk to school lunchrooms and investigate the shortage to stop similar disruptions from happening in the future and minimize downstream impacts.
Schumer says, “Milk is an essential part of our students’ school lunches and the lifeblood of our Upstate NY agricultural economy, but with a national milk carton shortage looming over our schools, now is the time for the USDA to step up to ensure our farmers get more support to continue their essential work. That is why I am calling on the USDA to start to work with industry leaders to address this shortage we are seeing nationwide, and provide all the leadership and technical support needed to help our New York dairy farmers. The USDA is uniquely positioned to investigate this problem from a national level and work with the dairy industry, our farmers, and schools to mitigate the impacts of shortages and propose solutions.”
Schumer sent a letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack on the issue: