Milk - General
Environmental restrictions and low milk prices continue to challenge European milk producers.
On January 25, 300 farm workers protested Washington’s agricultural overtime law that went into full effect on the first of the Year. This comes after a two-year phase-in.
At the IDFA Dairy Forum in Phoenix, Az., IDFA’s CEO Michael Dykes shared that to drive the growth of dairy forward will take investment in people, processors, production, innovation and sustainability.
According to Idaho Dairymen’s Association for the first time in a long time, production growth will likely come to a halt due to the financial stress and the negative margins producers out west are experiencing.
Michael Dykes, CEO of IDFA shared at the 2024 International Dairy Forum in Phoenix that our industry has a growth mindset The big-ticket question is whether today’s producers can help fill the milk production need.
The USDA Milk Production Report highlighted a drop in milk production to 18.8 billion lbs. of milk. This reflects the sixth consecutive month of lower production and a decline of 0.3% from a year prior.
Butter drove the dairy markets higher Thursday with the CME spot trade gaining 11 cents to finish at $2.68 3/4.
Where do dairy products fit into the changing picture of weight management?
As a new approach to robotic milking for larger dairy operations, DeLaval has announced the launch of their new VMS™ Batch Milking system, a method advancement in robotic milking technology.
At the end of the day, solid communication between the processor and the farm is essential and firmly understanding the processor’s strategic long-term vision is vital.
Iowa Dairy Association has launched the Dairy Innovation Grant Program, which has been created to increase on-farm dairy processing, reduce farm labor costs, and expand the availability of dairy products for consumers.
Now that its mid-January, dairy producers are eagerly awaiting an announcement to sign up for the Dairy Margin Coverage program. The Farm Service Agency office has yet to reveal when the 2024 enrollment period will open.
With interest rates much higher than a year ago and inflation impacting almost every good and service, producers must crunch numbers frequently to understand their cost of production and be strategic with future debt.
Ask any dairy farmer how they feel about today’s markets and they will say that the economics don’t add up. This is true in any state, but certainly being highlighted in Wisconsin, as last year they lost 455 dairy farms.
“When I arrived at the dairy that day and assessed the situation, three main objectives were clear: Increase cash flow, reduce expenses, rebuild relationships.”
Trust In Food recently met with Dorrich Dairy’s Suzanne Vold to learn why she removed her work boots and gloves to attend talks around agriculture and its impact on climate at GreenBiz’s VERGE conference.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is no stranger to supporting farmers and is known to hold a special place in his heart for dairy, having served as president and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC).
The hope is that depressed milk prices will be short lived. However, without a significant increase in demand or tighter milk supply or both, low prices may be with us for a longer duration.
With rising minimum wage and other industries competing for employees, labor prices have continued to creep higher. While we want to blame overtime rules, that isn’t necessarily the only culprit.
Midwest Dairy, and other promotional groups around the country, are meeting consumers where they are at, to tell them all about dairy’s goodness.
The High Plains Dairy Conference will be March 5-6 in Amarillo, Texas. The conference will explore alternative revenue streams, the future of exports and much more.
I challenge you to find another industry that offers the same blessings as the dairy industry. Editing will not only remind you of the goodness, but it also will provide you with the fuel to tackle the year ahead.
While we have flipped the calendar to a New Year, we didn’t necessarily say goodbye to low milk prices. 2023 was a tough year financially for dairy producers and 2024 isn’t off to a great start either.
All leading experts—from economists to cattle marketers, share that those producers with a surplus of heifer replacements are likely to capitalize on a pretty penny in the year ahead.
Minnesota ended 2023 with 146 fewer dairy farm permits than the state did at the beginning of the year. The big-ticket question is with dairy’s razor-thin financial margins, how many more dairies will exit in 2024?
Faltering global demand could offset milk production losses.
During a year full of farm consolidation, Organic Valley, the largest dairy cooperative of organic farmers in the nation, added an additional 84 farms to its membership in 2023.
The availability of livestock workers was ranked as more limited than crop workers and finding long-term help seen as more difficult than temporary help due to the seasonal nature of the ag industry.
Just how low will milk prices go? Slower exports, weaker demand and global inflation have all been an anchor on the potential for higher dairy product prices. Will we finally start to see some relief in 2024?
DeLaval has announced the launch of their new, re-designed automated teat sprayer, the DeLaval teat spray robot TSR2.