'It just keeps going up': How rising milk prices are affecting the cost of dairy
The cost of milk is going up again.
On Feb. 1, the Canadian Dairy Commission (CDC) increased the "farm gate milk price" by 2.2 per cent.
And with higher milk prices come similar increases for products that use it as an ingredient.
Before every pizza goes into the oven at Calabria Market, it is buried in a mountain of cheese.
A mountain that is becoming more costly to build, said CEO Cathy Wozny.
"Oh my god! It just keeps going up! It's getting a little hard to make these beautiful recipes and still use the amount of cheese that we have to put in our recipes," she said.
The increasing price of cheese is directly related to the price of milk, which has gone up 13 per cent since last February.
Wednesday's price increase was the third hike for milk in the last year.
Food Fare owner Munther Zeid said they have no wiggle room when it comes to pricing.
"Milk, yogurt, cheese, it goes up. Once one goes up, they all go up! Will it ever go down? It would be amazing to see," Zeid said.
CDC CEO Benoit Basillais said the increases are needed to help dairy farmers who are dealing with serious inflationary pressures.
"It's a very tough situation that producers are faced with. Everything is going up. The feed they buy is more expensive because the fuel went up," said Basillais.
David Wiens, chair of the Dairy Farmers of Manitoba said the raising of milk prices was critical for his operation.
"Without these increases it would have been awful out here. And we would not have our heads above water as we do now," said Wiens.
Wozny said Calabria Market is not willing to sacrifice quality by reducing the amount of cheese it uses. But she said it doesn't feel right raising her own prices.
"It's just not possible. How high can you go on a pizza," she said, adding that they will just have to eat the price increase themselves.
The CDC said raising milk prices can't be the only solution, so it is looking for more international markets where Canadian milk can be sold.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Half of Canadians have negative opinion of latest Liberal budget: poll
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
opinion Why you should protect your investments by naming a trusted contact person
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
Twins from Toronto were Canada's top two female finishers at this year's Boston Marathon
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
Ottawa injects another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
NASA hears from Voyager 1, the most distant spacecraft from Earth, after months of quiet
NASA has finally heard back from Voyager 1 again in a way that makes sense. The most distant spacecraft from Earth hadn't sent home any understandable data since last November.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Train derailed in Sarnia after colliding with a truck
Police are investigating after a transport truck collided with a train in Sarnia.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.