Grassland Dairy Products, of Greenwood, says Canada is preparing to take steps to halt imports of ultra-filtered milk from the U.S., a move that could result in the loss of $100 million in annual exports from Wisconsin.
Ultra-filtered milk is protein liquid concentrate used to make cheese. Unlike whole milk, it enters Canada duty-free from the United States.
Canadian dairy farmers have objected to the duty-free imports. Grassland says the milk used to produce the protein concentrates helps support more than 700 Wisconsin dairy farms and the company’s plant in Greenwood.
Leon Gregorich, Grassland CEO, and Trevor Wuethrich, Grassland president, have written a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, expressing “serious concern” about the issue.
By Rick Barrett
Source: Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel