PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 29, 2023
On the brink of collapse, Maine’s $2.7 billion dairy industry is asking lawmakers for a bailout this session to avoid another round of farm closures. Over the last two years, Maine has lost 25% of its dairy farms. Only 161 remain in operation. Farmers blame runaway electricity, fuel and fertilizer costs, and skyrocketing interest rates on farm loans. The heritage industry is approaching the point of no return, they warn.