In response to requests made by the dairy industry, the government is considering whether to approve the synthetic hormone BST for use in dairy cows  BST increases milk production but also leads to recurring udder inflammation, decreased fertility, and symptoms of stress in cows who receive the hormone
All of these problems can be kept under control with constant veterinary care, but such levels of veterinary help would cost big farms far less per cow than they would small farms
Owners of big farms stand to gain more from government approval of BST than do owners of small farms.