Latest News From Fran Howard

Cheese exports in February Soar as Mexico buys record volumes.

Southwest plant expansions will likely draw milk from distant regions

Depooling, new cheese production capacity, lower component prices all take toll on income.

Higher prices for beef calves are incentivizing dairy producers to breed crossbred bull calves

Environmental restrictions and low milk prices continue to challenge European milk producers.

2024 should be a good year for U.S. cheese exporters.

Faltering global demand could offset milk production losses.

A growing population and an increase in consumer purchasing power in Mexico will support U.S. exports

Estimates call for slower growth going forward in the world’s second-largest economy.

Demand for high-protein whey products appear to be lifting the whey complex.

The U.S. milk-cow herd could soon stabilize as dairy profits improve.

El Niño could have profound impacts on agricultural production, including dairy output, across the globe in the coming months. This comes at the same time when food insecurity is increasing.

Shellshocked buyers push butter prices to new heights ahead of the holidays

Many milk checks fall well short of covering even the cost of production.

Weakening demand for dairy in Brazil shuts door on Uruguayan exporters.

Economic issues and demographic changes don’t bode well for Global dairy demand.

Changing demographics could eventually diminish China’s Importance in global dairy markets.

Those in Class III markets will feel the brunt of some of the lowest prices in years. While relief is coming in the form of lower feed prices, a drop in costs won’t be enough to offset their declining milk checks.

CME dry whey prices set all-time lows.

As beef production falls, meatpackers will be looking to dairy producers for cattle

School milk remains an important part of the Class I market, especially as overall milk consumption declines.

Since record-keeping began, U.S. annual per capita ice cream consumption has nearly doubled

A big U.S. corn crop could further reduce feed prices.

The Southern Hemisphere will bear the brunt of this year’s El Niño

After workers left for the frontline and processors stopped paying, producers have become reluctant to rebuild their herds.

As California’s multi-year drought recedes, producers evacuate cows and future milk production could suffer.

Despite interest rate hikes, food inflation remains stubbornly high.

High slaughter rates could curtail milk production growth in 2023.

Processors overwhelmed with supply buy deeply discounted milk.

As La Niña gives way to El Niño, weather patterns will shift once again but producers need to plan for more extreme weather.

Despite moderating overall food price inflation, food prices around the globe remain historically high and inflationary pressures persist.

When it comes to dairy, France may have the edge on Argentina, but when it comes to soccer, Argentina has proven that it has the edge on France. Here's why.

This year’s rising interest rates will continue to discourage expansion throughout the dairy industry as the cost to service debt soars.

Australia’s labor shortage is so severe that some dairies have partially or fully transitioned to less labor-intensive beef cattle operations, due in part to record-high beef prices.

Three back-toBack La Niñas take a toll on crops and could force dairies to cull their herds.

China’s appetite for some dairy products has grown as consumers look to value-added products and the country’s pork industry recovers following devastating outbreaks of African swine fever that began in 2018.

A shortage of fresh barrel cheese has been driving the inverted price spread.

Milk powder imports hit particularly hard in part due to large current stockpiles

As consumers return to pre-pandemic habits and prices soar, demand for butter falters

Angered at New Zealand for its comments on Taiwan, Beijing looks elsewhere to fill whole milk powder needs.

Increased fuel costs impedes movement of milk and milk components.

Crossbreeding for beef cows and the cost of raising heifers have added to the replacement heifer shortage.

Consumers who are battling soaring food prices try to stretch their grocery budgets.

Dairy consumption in the South American country is still only half of what it was in 2008

Temporary cream shortages and dwindling butter stocks add support to dairy markets.

As milk begins to contract, South American dairy processors have had to boost payouts to producers

U.S. average diesel prices up more than 70% year-over-year. Could this push processors to slow down powder production?

Dairy exporters from Argentina and Uruguay are looking for new dairy markets to offset the loss of the Russian market.

If the rising cost of feed offsets historically high milk prices, the signal to produce more milk could go unheeded.

War in Ukraine will accelerate inflation for critical inputs along dairy supply chain.