A change in ownership to a major dairy processing company has left many farmers without pay for their April product.  Other farmers are being paid less due to the change in demand during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Dean Foods filed for bankruptcy in November 2019. Dairy Farmers of America bought their processing plants effect may 1st. But many farmers have not been paid for the month of April.

While Dean Foods faces bankruptcy producers who ship their product to dean foods have not received payment for their April milk. 

On top of this, with schools and many other businesses closed, the demand for dairy to some processing plants is down. Other plants have been closed due to Covid-19 outbreaks. This is leaving a dairy shortage

Many farmers have had to dump some of their product or are being paid less for the same amount.

Director of Farmers Union Milk Cooperative, Maggie Curtis, says the solution is farmer owned processing.

"It would mean that the product would pass through less hands," said Curtis. "It's really a matter of national food security. One person at either one of those plants gets sick with Covid-19 and it shuts down the whole plant." 

Curtis is happy about the 16 billion dollars in federal government aid to farmers but is still unsure exactly when and how this money will be distributed.