August 2003
By Deborah Robinson
and Robert Pregulman

Download the report. | Read the news release.

Executive Summary
Seattle-Tacoma consumers pay more for milk than anyone else in the contiguous United States. At the same time, Washington state dairy farmers, along with all dairy farmers, have hit a 25 year low in the price they receive for milk. In fact, there has never been a greater gap between what a Seattle-Tacoma consumer pays for milk and what Washington farmers receive for that milk. On a national level, especially in the Northeast, steps are being taken to remedy the situation for the farmer, and in key dairy states, legislative measures either already exist or are underway to address the apparent gouging at the retail level. Unfortunately, in the Seattle-Tacoma area (indeed all of the Pacific Northwest), nothing is being done to address the situation. Legislative measures combined with consumer awareness and action is needed to help the farmer and protect consumers from unreasonably high prices for milk.