Dairy Information: Protecting Your Profits

The Center for Dairy Excellence offers several information resources to help producers identify opportunities to protect their profits. These documents are reviewed on a monthly “Protecting Your Profits” conference call. Click here to access the latest “Protecting Your Profits” Webinar.

Pennsylvania Dairy Industry Performance Scorecard:The Center for Dairy Excellence publishes a monthly “PA Dairy Industry Performance Scorecard,” which looks at key factors supporting the growth of Pennsylvania’s dairy industry and evaluates trends affecting Pennsylvania’s dairy farms.

  • Pennsylvania produced 1.3% less milk with 4000  fewer cows this May as compared to May 2013 while national production increased 1.5% over last year.
  • May’s Pennsylvania production per cow set another record  at 65.8 lb / cow / day
  • The All Milk Price fell slightly from April’s record high.
  • Feed costs are stronger recently but they are still 10% lower than last year resulting in margins that are 57% higher than last May!

Protecting Your Profits Scorecard:To provide an overview of the national dairy industry, with consumption, marketing and production trends, the center publishes the monthly “Protecting Your Profits” scorecard.

  • Softening  domestic and international cheese prices across  the past three months pulled  Class III and All Milk Prices down again in June
  • May’s Cow numbers are the highest since 2012 but these cows are producing 2 lbs per head more than May 2012
  • Dairy exports sales are well above last May.
  • May butter inventories are 60%. of May 2013 levels
  • June cull cow prices set record highs for the 5th month in a row.
  • International  prices for butter fell for the 6th consecutive month while domestic butter prices rose for the past 6 months
  • International cheese fell for the 5th straight month.

Alan'-photo-colorAlan Zepp, the center’s risk management program manager, reviews both of these scorecards monthly during his “Protecting Your Profits” calls. The calls are held the last Wednesday of every month. Click here to access a recording of the latest call.