All Data Will Be Reported in Aggregate and Anonymously
Organic dairy producers who ship Grade A milk from Pennsylvania and Maryland are encouraged to share anonymous data from their milk checks to help the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) create market reports and better understand how organic milk is priced. Information will be reported in aggregate and anonymously. The Center for Dairy Excellence is helping to collect and organize the data.
“The goal of this organic milk price discovery project is to collect anonymous information that could be used to create new programs for organic dairies and milk in the future. It will help organizations have a better understanding of how organic milk is priced,” said Valerie Mason-Faith, Risk Education Manager at the Center for Dairy Excellence. “Right now, programs like Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) are based off conventional milk data. By collecting and analyzing information directly from organic producers, the hope would be that new programs can be created that are tailored toward organic milk.”
Organic dairy producers who are interested in participating would be asked to provide the following information:
- Net mailbox price
- Butterfat %
- Protein %
- Monthly volume
- Lactating cow numbers
All data provided would remain anonymous in the market news reports. To view an example of what a Pennsylvania Organic Dairy Market News Report looks like, visit this URL: https://www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/pn_da001.pdf
To learn more or to participate in the organic milk price discovery project, call Valerie Mason-Faith at (717) 550-8720 or email vmason@centerfordairyexcellence.org. Individuals can also submit anonymous commentary on the organic milk markets when contacting Mason-Faith.