Farmers to Receive More for Milk

Nova Scotia dairy farmers will receive an additional 1.79 cents for a litre of milk beginning Wednesday, Feb. 1.

It means that consumers may pay more for milk. Any changes in the retail price for milk and other dairy products are set at the retail level and are not regulated.

The price of milk under the Nova Scotia school milk program will not increase.

The Nova Scotia Natural Products Marketing Council approved the price increase to farmers.

The increase was announced by the Canadian Dairy Commission in December 2005 to reflect rising farms costs and fulfill a commitment that 50 per cent of Canadian dairy producers receive the cost of production by February 2006.

The Natural Products Marketing Council is an independent agency of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. The council oversees nine farm marketing boards, including Dairy Farmers of Nova Scotia, which sets the farm price of milk, subject to ratification by the council.