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Dean Foods has submitted a statement to U.S. Department of Justice:
http://www.deanfoods.com/media/39288/dean%20foods%20statement%2006-10.pdf
Dean is a fluid milk processor and when you consider how much milk goes into fluid Dean is admitting to a market share of about 50% nationally. Dean also claims to pay premiums over the regulated price. When DFA began its full supply agreement with Dean, premiums all but disappeared.
Dean states:
As Jerry Kozak, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation,stated, “A worldwide decline in dairy demand, owing to the worst economic downturn in 75 years, is at the heart of the price crunch on the farm.” These global economic forces were exacerbated by an antiquated U.S. pricing system built in the 1930s that was not designed to deal with the complexity of modern global markets and therefore no longer serves the needs of U.S. dairy farmers.
Just above the Kozak quote is a misleading graph from another high paid "friend" of the American dairy farmer U.S. Dairy Export Council. The graph is misleading becuase it is based on "milk solids." Lactose and whey are very big dairy "milk solids" exports and that is not the same as milk.
Read the whole statement and draw your own conclusions.
