Pennsylvania Dairy Profitability Forum
More than 200 people attended the Pennsylvania Dairy Profitability Forum, held in two locations on Oct. 27 and 28, which addressed milk pricing, dairy policy, best management practices, and future dairy farm profitability. USDA Deputy Under Secretary Michael Scuse spoke at the Harrisburg Forum, calling the current dairy crisis an "opportunity to make meaningful changes that will have a long term positive effect on the dairy sector."
Bob Gray, from Bob Gray Consulting LLC, spoke at the Western Pennsylvania forum and shared his insights on dairy policy reform and what is happening in Washington, D.C. To review his presentation, click here.
In the morning session at both events, Phil Plourd, president of Blimling & Associates, broke down the dairy price collapse to show the factors that caused it and what needs to happen for prices to rebound. He also compared the United States dairy system to that of New Zealand, the European Union and Canadian to show where the U.S. strengths and weaknesses are. To see Plourd's presentation, click here.
Dr. David Galton, a professor from Cornell University, spoke in the afternoon and outlined a blueprint for future dairy farm profitability. He emphasized the important of looking at everything on a per-hundredweight. "As inflation outpaces marginal milk profits, every expense and each purchase must be evaluated on a per hundredweight basis to make sure you have both the volume and income to cover it," he said. To see Galton's presentation, click here.
Four breakouts will held as part of this year's Dairy Profitability Forum. Click on the links below to access hand-outs and meeting notes from each of the four sessions:
-- Managing Production Costs through Monthly Cash Flow, presented by Brad Hilty & Rob Goodling, PSU.
-- Evaluating and Managing Your Dairy Risk Options, presented by Alan Zepp, CDE, & Katie Krupa, Dairylea.
-- Cows Don't Lie, Three Areas That Impact Profitability, presented by Tom Lorenzen, Alltech Industries.
-- Low & No Cost Profit Enhancers, a panel discussion facilitated by Mike Evanish, MSC Business Services.
The Dairy Profitability Forum was hosted by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and the Center for Dairy Excellence, with generous support from the Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association, Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program, Land O'Lakes, Pennfield Feeds, Mid-Atlantic Farm Credit, Dairylea, Dairy Farmers of America, AgChoice Farm Credit, Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Association, Alltech Industries, Pennsylvania Association of Milk Dealers and Select Sire Power.
For more information about this year's Pennsylvania Dairy Profitability Forum, call the Center for Dairy Excellence at 717-346-0849 or e-mail info@centerfordairyexcellence.org.