Farmers Forced To Slaughter Cows

摘要

Hundreds of thousands of America's dairy cows are being slaughtered for their meat because milk prices have dropped so low that farmers can no longer afford to feed the animals. Dairy farmers say they have little choice but to sell part of their herds for slaughter because of economic problems. The global recession has also affected demand for butter and cheese exports from the US. Prices for milk now are about half what it costs farmers to produce, and consumer prices are falling. Unless the market can be bolstered, industry officials project that more than 1.5 million of the nation's 9.3 million milking cows could be slaughtered this year as dairy operators look to cut costs and make cash.