BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 27, 2022
Former Gov. Paul LePage sparred with a small group of farmers at an agricultural forum on Tuesday, saying farms were not as productive as they could be and prices are too high. The remarks came during an Agricultural Council of Maine forum in Augusta. The Republican had a sharp response to a farmer’s point that the industry was operating efficiently. LePage also zeroed in on the Maine Dairy Relief Program, which provides state funds to farmers when the amount they receive from the marketplace falls below the cost of production. He went further to tie high costs of dairy generated by the program to out-migration and brain drain that Maine has seen in recent years. Later on, he cited figures claiming milk was nearly twice as expensive in Maine as it was in Vermont. Vermont is a dairy giant compared to this state. The Maine Milk Commission sets a minimum price.