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:…
There’s a unique and fascinating dynamic at play in the dairy industry today, fueled by record- high beef prices. For perhaps the first time in modern history, dairy producer margins and expansion appetites are increasingly tied to what’s playing out in the beef market as profits from calves and cull cows balloon.
The chaos that is happening in Los Angeles, California, right now demonstrates how tensions can escalate when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) audits and raids begin happening in local businesses. However, agricultural employers are encouraged to focus on deescalating any potential situation by being prepared and understanding your rights.
Based on April’s USDA Milk Production report, U.S. milk output is strong two months into the “Spring flush.” To start off, March U.S. milk production was revised higher than previously reported by 26 million pounds to 19.1 billion pounds. U.S. milk supplies continued to climb through April, totaling 19.4 billion pounds and up 1.5% since…
