On the July 2025 USDA Cattle Inventory Report, all cows and heifers that have calved totaled 94.2 million head, a 1.0% decrease from 95.4 million head in July 2023. The 2025 calf crop also saw a 1.0% drop from January 2025’s report to 33.1 million head in July. With the USDA cancelling the cattle inventory…
If you haven’t been paying attention to the grain markets over the past few weeks, it’s time to tune in. December corn prices are trading around $4 per bushel – near life-of-contract lows – while soybean meal prices are still hanging below $300 per ton. These lower grain futures are pushing 2025 and 2026 feed…
Inflation continues to weigh on global food prices, with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reporting a 1.6% month-to-month increase in the agency’s food price index (FFPI) last month. July’s index was 130.1 points, at its highest level since early 2023.
The USDA announced June’s margin under the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) Program to be $11.10 per hundredweight (cwt), up 70 cents from May’s margin and down 56 cents from June 2024. With June marking the halfway point for this program year, participating producers have not received any indemnities thus far.
Looking at the preliminary estimates for June, the U.S. milk supply was abundant throughout spring flush and held strong heading into the beginning of summer. Based on the most recent USDA Milk Production report, May’s U.S. milk production was revised from a previous 1.6 increase to a 2.4 increase year over year.
An uncomfortable silence settled over the small group assembled around the kitchen table. The father had just told me of the tragic death of a visiting relative, due to a preventable farm accident. “We think about it every day,” the father continued. “We keep thinking, ‘if only, if only, if only……” Unfortunately, unlike this computer…
From the outside looking in, the read on dairy demand in the U.S. domestic market is far from optimistic. The overarching theme for the better part of a year has been fairly lackluster. And the back-of-the-envelope measures of domestic cheese consumption alone confirm as much, with year-to-date 2025 demand a half-percent below year-ago levels.
Those who have been following their mailbox price over the first half of 2025 have likely seen a drop of more than $3 per hundredweight (cwt) since February. That’s due to declining prices on both the Class III and Class IV side of the market. USDA announced the all-milk price for May at $21.30 per…
The USDA announced May’s margin under the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) Program to be $10.40 per hundredweight (cwt), down two cents month over month and 12 cents year over year. For program year 2025, this is the 5th consecutive month where the margin has been above the $9.50 trigger and resulted in no indemnities for…
By the time you read this, we will have already been through our first “heatwave” here in the Northeast, providing a stark reminder of the impact that heat and humidity has on people, cows, and your wallet. Were you ready to help your cows handle the heat? Core strategies to mitigate heat stress remain unchanged:…
