The Latest Sign of Dairy Inflation Is Tanking Sales of Semen
Farmers aren’t inseminating as many cows for milk, instead going for more profitable beef
A cow a at a dairy farm in Waldo, Wisconsin.
Photographer: Daniel Acker/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Higher prices for dairy products could be coming, and falling sales of semen from dairy bulls are telling the story.
The market for dairy semen sales has tanked to a 17-year low, with sales volumes dropping by 6.7% last year, according to National Association of Animal Breeders data. It’s because American dairy farmers don’t want as many milking cows — they’re buying semen from beef cattle and raising more animals for meat instead, because it’s more profitable. Right now, dairies are struggling to make money as everything from feed prices to labor and energy costs skyrocket.