New Brunswickers will be paying more to buy milk at their local grocery store starting later this week.
Officials announced Friday that the minimum price will increase by four cents per litre as of Feb. 1.
The New Brunswick Farm Products Commission cites increased production costs incurred by dairy producers and processors.
“Paying more for milk or any item has an impact on consumers, but the increase is required to provide the resources for the producers to continue producing milk and maintain dairy farm numbers in New Brunswick,” commission chair Bob Shannon said in a statement.
Dairy farmers are paying more for feed, machinery and equipment repairs, fuel and oil, custom work and hired labour.
In the case of dairy processors, they are facing increased costs for packaging, manufacturing, transportation and distribution.
Farmers will receive 1.7 cents per litre from this price increase, while processors will get 2.4 cents more per litre.
Pricing under the School Milk Program will remain unchanged for the current school year, according to a news release from the commission.
Dairy producers and processors subsidize the program by about $800,000 per year and supply about one million litres of milk to students from kindergarten to Grade 12.
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