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More Dean Foods plant closings expected

A milk marketer confirms Dean Foods will be closing more processing plants.

National Farmers Organization’s Kendell Lockwood works with dairy farmers and processors throughout Michigan. He tells Brownfield reports that Dean Foods will be closing seven plants in seven states are true for Michigan.   “We had a feeling that this was coming so we were already working towards that end, and now it’s been pretty much confirmed that they’re closing.”

Dean Foods’ Livonia plant processes milk under the Country Fresh label. It, along with plants in Thief River Falls, Minnesota and Huntley, Illinois, are said to be among seven plants to close by the end of this year.

Lockwood says because of an advanced notice, they’ve been able to find a home for most farmers’ milk.

The announcement comes as dairy farmers in Michigan are receiving the lowest milk price in the country partly because of a lack of processing. Mark Stephenson with the University of Wisconsin estimates as many as 100 milk tankers a day in Michigan are seeking a home for processing which is also depressing milk prices in surrounding states.

National Farmers Organization is a marketing service that works between farmers and processors.

AUDIO: Interview with Kendell Lockwood and Wayne Prichard during Michigan Farmers Union Dairy Together event

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