Dairy Products Manufacturing Workers

The 1996 Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act (also known as the 1996 Farm Act) phased out price supports for agricultural produce. Only the larger, more financially sound farms were able to compete in international and domestic markets, and owners of many small farms consolidated with larger operations or left agricultural production. However, as of 2022, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that 95 percent of the 1.9 million farms in the U.S. are family owned and operated. Farmer-owned and -operated cooperatives are developing new ways to market milk, dairy products, and other agricultural produce, and these efforts hold some promise for dairy and other farms.

Employment for food processing equipment workers, including dairy workers, is expected to grow by 7 percent, faster than the average for all careers, through 2033, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The growth of the world's population and increased consumer demand for dairy products and convenience foods is expected to add more manufacturing jobs. Job growth may be tempered, however, by dairy manufacturing companies' increased use of automated equipment. Employment for agricultural workers is expected to decline during this same time span.