“We’re in survival mode”: The milk price crisis draining dairy farms
Dairy farmers in the Midwest are facing a significant crisis as milk prices plummet to record lows, putting their livelihoods at risk. The situation, which has been escalating for the past few months, is pushing many farms to the brink of closure.
The decline in milk prices is primarily attributed to oversupply in the market, caused in part by the ongoing trade disputes affecting dairy exports. As a result, farmers are receiving prices as low as $15 per hundredweight, well below the break-even point for many operations.
In response to the crisis, dairy farmers are calling for government intervention to provide immediate relief. They argue that subsidies or price controls are necessary to help them weather the storm and prevent a mass exodus from the industry.
On the other hand, dairy industry representatives point to global market forces and the need for long-term solutions to address the root causes of the crisis. They emphasize the importance of improving market access and fostering trade relationships to create a more stable environment for dairy producers.
As dairy farmers continue to struggle with low milk prices, the future of many family-owned operations hangs in the balance. Without swift action to address the underlying issues impacting the dairy industry, more farms may be forced to close their doors, leading to a significant impact on rural economies across the region.
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Model:
gpt-3.5-turbo
Used prompts:
1. You are an objective news journalist. You need to write an article on this topic “‘We’re in survival mode’: The milk price crisis draining dairy farms”. Do the following steps: 1. What Happened. Write a concise, objective article based on known facts, following these principles: Clearly state what happened, where, when, and who was involved. Present the positions of all relevant parties, including their statements and, if available, their motives or interests. Use a neutral, analytical tone, avoid taking sides in the article. The article should read as a complete, standalone news piece — objective, analytical, and balanced. Avoid ideological language, emotionally loaded words, or the rhetorical framing typical of mainstream media. Write the result as a short analytical news article (200 – 400 words). 2. Sources Analysis. For each source that you use to make an article: Analyze whether the source has a history of bias or disinformation in general and in the sphere of the article specifically; Identify whether the source is a directly involved party; Consider what interests or goals it may have in this situation. Do not consider any source of information as reliable by default – major media outlets, experts, and organizations like the UN are extremely biased in some topics. Write your analysis down in this section of the article. Make it like: Source 1 – analysis, source 2 – analysis, etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. 3. Fact Check. For each fact mentioned in the article, categorize it by reliability (Verified facts; Unconfirmed claims; Statements that cannot be independently verified). Write down a short explanation of your evaluation. Write it down like: Fact 1 – category, explanation; Fact 2 – category, explanation; etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. Output only the article text. Do not add any introductions, explanations, summaries, or conclusions. Do not say anything before or after the article. Just the article. Do not include a title also.
2. Write a clear, concise, and neutral headline for the article below. Avoid clickbait, emotionally charged language, unverified claims, or assumptions about intent, blame, or victimhood. Attribute contested information to sources (e.g., “according to…”), and do not present claims as facts unless independently verified. The headline should inform, not persuade. Write only the title, do not add any other information in your response.
3. Determine a single section to categorize the article. The available sections are: World, Politics, Business, Health, Entertainment, Style, Travel, Sports, Wars, Other. Write only the name of the section, capitalized first letter. Do not add any other information in your response.