Marcinkowski Quoted in Press Herald Article on Portland Business
David Marcinkowski, a dairy expert with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension and animal and veterinary science professor in the School of Food and Agriculture, was quoted in a Portland Press Herald article about Portland business ImmuCell Corp. The company, which develops products to prevent and treat diseases among dairy and beef cattle, recently completed its most profitable quarter in 12 years in part because of harsh environmental conditions faced by cattle ranchers in the West, according to the article. Dairy farmers generally bring feed to their cows, which becomes expensive when farmers need to truck in hay from other locations, Marcinkowski said. As a result, the price of milk hit a record high in mid-2014 before dropping down because of overproduction, he said. In the beef and dairy industries, the price of a calf increased 40 percent from 2012 to 2014, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Now that herds are expanding again in some states, prices should begin to normalize, the article states. However, Marcinkowski said it is a long process that could take four or five years.