Milk prices hearing set for Thursday

Monday, Dec. 18, 2000 | 12:50 p.m.

A public hearing to solicit comments on the high retail price of milk will be conducted Thursday morning, a week after the Nevada State Dairy Commission released statistics showing Las Vegas to have the state's highest prices.

The Dairy Commission plans the hearing at 9:30 a.m., at the second floor conference room of the Bradley Building, 2501 E. Sahara Ave.

Commissioners Robert Barengo, Michael Compston and Randall Thoman as well as Executive Director Stacy Jennings will take comments on -- but may not be able to do anything about -- why the price of milk is so much higher in Las Vegas than it is in the rest of Nevada.

Jennings said the average retail price of a gallon of whole milk has been about $3 a gallon in the Las Vegas area this year despite decreases in prices paid to dairy farmers over the same period. Milk prices dropped an average of 50 cents a gallon in Reno, with the current average about $2.35 a gallon in stores there.

Jennings said the Dairy Commission does not regulate or set retail milk prices, but prohibits suppliers from selling milk below an established minimum. But commissioners can investigate unfair trade practices within the dairy industry.

The commission surveys and posts average milk prices as well as the high and low prices within a region of the state. December prices, posted by the commission last week, showed that the average price of a gallon of whole milk in Las Vegas in December is $3.03, up 6 cents from a month ago and the highest average price in the state.

The Las Vegas range is $2.28 to $3.89 a gallon in the December survey.

Jennings said Nevada's retailers set their own prices for milk and other dairy products.

Thursday's hearing was rescheduled from October when the commissioners failed to arrive after their flight from Reno was delayed.