Michigan dairy farmers are getting a $510 million boost. Two new dairy processing facilities are scheduled to be built in St. Johns, north of Lansing. The plants are expected to create more than 250 new jobs.
“This is a tremendous win for the dairy farmers in our state, for all of Michigan,” said Governor Rick Snyder, who is a fan of Michigan’s cows.
“We have the second most productive cows in the entire nation, second only to Colorado and they’re not even close in terms of number of cows,” Snyder said. “So, we have the best cows in the country.”
The idea is to give Michigan a local place for milk, instead of having to haul it out of state.
John Wilson of Dairy Farmers of America said this will help Michigan dairy farmers – who have been hit hard recently with a milk surplus and uncertainty on the trade front.
“This plant’s gonna soak up eight million pounds of milk a day, and that’s a big deal for dairy farmers in the state of Michigan,” he said.
The money comes from private investors – supported by more than $20 million in grants and tax abatements from the state. Those are in the final stages of being approved.
Construction for the facilities is expected to start in September and be finished by December 2020.
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—Cheyna Roth is a reporter for the Michigan Public Radio network. Contact WEMU News at734.487.3363 or email us at studio@wemu.org
