There’s sour news on the dairy front – milk prices will rise 4 percent Sunday and will get even higher in the coming months, industry experts say.
The official state price of a gallon of milk will jump 13 cents a gallon to $3.38 in the metropolitan area.
Expect bodegas and convenience stores to charge more, if they can justify the cost to state officials.
Milk could cost $4 a gallon by summer, said Bruce Krupke of the New York State Dairy Foods industry group.
Milk prices are way outpacing inflation – the April 1 state price will be 24 percent higher than the April 2006 price.
Prices usually drop in spring, but this year they’re being pushed up as the dollar hits new lows against other currencies, making U.S. milk products a better buy overseas and increasing demand, Krupke said.
Rising costs for corn and soybeans eaten by milk cows is pushing the price even higher, he added.