'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
U.S. President Joe Biden to meet Trudeau, address Parliament today
After two years in office, U.S. President Joe Biden has made it to Canada, and is waking up to a full day of events in the capital.

W5 Investigates | Hidden danger: Is there asbestos in your drinking water, and how could it get there?
W5 investigates aging asbestos pipes across Canada and the potential health hazards if it ends up in your tap water. Watch W5's 'Something in the Water' Saturday at 7 p.m. on CTV.
Ontario crypto king kidnapped, tortured in an attempt to get millions in ransom, documents say
Ontario’s self-described crypto king was allegedly abducted, tortured, and beaten for days as his kidnappers looked to solicit millions in ransom, his father told a court in December.
Restaurants and bars brace for biggest alcohol tax jump in 40 years
Canada's restaurant industry is bracing for the biggest jump in the country's alcohol excise duty in more than 40 years, spurring warnings the tax hike could force some bars and restaurants out of business.
Hershey looking to remove lead, cadmium from chocolate
Hershey Co. is looking to reduce 'trace' amounts of lead and cadmium in its chocolate, chief financial officer Steve Voskiul told Reuters on Wednesday, after Consumer Reports found that some dark chocolate bars had potentially harmful levels of the heavy metals.
Unwelcome spotlight falls on NHL team Pride night events
Pride nights, held annually for several years by National Hockey League teams to show support for the LGBTQ2S+ community, are in the spotlight following several high-profile incidents this season.
Utah bans kids from accessing social media during evening hours, without parent consent
Children and teens in Utah would lose access to social media apps such as TikTok if they don't have parental consent and face other restrictions under a first-in-the-nation law designed to shield young people from the addictive platforms.
Make sure to check your grocery bill, otherwise you may pay more: survey
A majority of Canadians have seen a mistake on their grocery receipts in the last year, according to a new survey conducted by Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University.
Protests continue in France; King Charles III visit postponed
Protesters angry at French President Emmanuel Macron's pension reforms continued with scattered actions on Friday, as the unrest across the country led officials to postpone a planned state visit by King Charles III.