Posted: 11.15.2010

A new survey suggests most Wisconsin dairy farmers plan to stay in the business for at least the next five years. The Wisconsin Ag Statistics Service found that three out of every four dairy producers plan to continue on to 2015, despite suffering through terrible milk market prices.

Statistician Audra Hubbell says the survey found that is especially true for farmers with larger operations. She says the survey also found just over 40% of respondents have trouble paying for all of their day-to-day living expenses, and roughly half are deeper in debt now than two years ago.

Still, Hubbell says dairy farmers continue on despite adversity. Hubbell says herd buyout programs have been available for the last couple of years to dairy farmers who wanted to get out of the business, and few have shown an interest in it.

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