As milk prices continue to stay low, many dairy farmers are facing dire financial straits. Amid growing concern about farmers’ mental health, Agri-Mark, one of the biggest dairy cooperatives in the country, delivered information about suicide hotlines along with its milk checks last week.
The letter was sent to members across New England, and noted that amidst a “particularly stressful winter,” some farmers “may want to take advantage of helpful programs where they can talk with experts about work and financial stress.” It then listed milk price forecasts for the rest of the year, which didn’t promise much reprieve for struggling farmers.
Agri-Mark is the 28th largest agricultural cooperative in the U.S., with $900 million in revenue in 2016. In recent years, some dairy cooperatives have faced allegations that they have engaged in anti-competitive behaviors, suppressed farmer wages, or inflated the price of dairy products for customers. Agri-Mark has been a defendant in at least one of those lawsuits.