Dairy Industry vs COVID-19

Due to the growing concerns of the pandemic of COVID-19, I thought I would take this opportunity to really focus in on what exactly this pandemic is doing to the dairy industry.  The government has really focused in on what is considered an "essential" job and what isn't.  What most people fail to realize is, farming is essential for everyone.  And it must continue to go on, despite any pandemic going on.  The cows still have to be fed and milked.  The crops still have to be harvested.  Farm life still moves forward even when the rest of society is taking a "break". 

Now it might seem that the dairy and agriculture industry does not receive the best news coverage and always seems to have a "bad" image however, it's not due to support media, but rather the lack of it.  For almost every other industry, you can clearly see all the support they receive, however, with the dairy industry, we do not have the funding needed to have the support we need.  We rely on the support of our consumers which in the long run, is not enough for the industry to survive on.

As so many products are receiving restrictions on how much one consumer can buy at a time, it's only natural that a restriction was put on dairy products as well.  However, there isn't a shortage of dairy products, especially milk, in fact we now have a surplus of it because of the restrictions.  If a restriction had never been put on the dairy products, there wouldn't be thousands of farmers having to dump out their milk due to there not being anyone to take it.  The restrictions need to be lifted and consumers need to keep buying milk.

The biggest way the dairy industry is supported is by local, county, and state fairs.  Why?  This is the time when we can get a vast variety of consumers all in the same place.  We can reach a target audience that is huge within a 12 day period.  However, due to the COVID-19, many fairs are already being cancelled or postponed.  Although many people may not realize the impact of this now, once the summer hits, the impact will be incredibly large. 

Media support is key to make an idea grow from nothing to something.  Without it, you lose the respect of your consumers.  Because the dairy industry is so large, even with the negativity it receives, it is still able to keep moving forward.  Consumers who are loyal to the dairy industry will advocate for it through thick and thin.  It's because of their advocacy that the industry is able to thrive and keep going.  And because the agriculture and dairy industries are essential, they spend less money on advertising for the industry and more on keeping the industry moving.

When summer comes, these industries rely on the dairy breakfasts, fairs, carnivals, and other events to keep the industry moving.  Unfortunately, without many of these events happening, the dairy industry is going to lose so much of its advertising.  These events were put on to promote and without them, there are very few ways to promote and reach a huge audience at the same time.

Will COVID-19 take away the support of the dairy industry and drive the industry down farther?  Or will the consumers keep the industry alive with their support?

• The answer depends on YOU.  Buy more milk.  Buy more dairy products.  Keep the industry alive.