America's dairy farmers crying over milk market bust

As the recession causes worldwide milk demand to slip, dairy processors seem to be manipulating the market to keep retail prices high in an attempt to prop up profits. As they are going out of business, farmers are protesting by organizing milk dumping protests. In other countries, farmers have even resorted to piling manure in front of government offices.

When it comes to pricing, milk is a fairly unique product. To begin with, it is difficult to store and is quick to spoil, which means that milk farmers can't stockpile their produce and wait for the best price. They either have to sell their daily milk yield or pour it out.