As the Greek yogurt industry continues to boom in the state, experts are warning that if farmers can’t boost the state’s milk supply by 15 percent in the coming years, yogurt plants will be compelled to buy out-of-state milk to get enough to meet demand. Two to three gallons of milk are needed for every gallon of Greek yogurt, which is thicker and creamier than traditional yogurt and attracts customers with its high protein and low sugar count.
To discuss how to solve that dilemma, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s administration Wednesday hosted its first New York State Yogurt Summit, where industry leaders and farmers brainstormed about how the state can continue to lead the Greek yogurt charge.
The two-hour-long summit in Albany offered a few legislative solutions that could help dairy farmers expand, but asking farmers to suddenly start pumping out large quantities of milk could be a stretch, said Bruce W. Krupke, vice president of the Northeast Dairy Foods Association, who participated in the discussion.The association represents 120 dairy plants across eight Northeast states.