Based on the USDA Dairy Products report, total cheese output was 1.16 billion pounds, up 3.9 percent year over year. Italian-type cheese production increased by 6.8 percent from February 2025 to 506 million pounds in February 2026. American type cheese output totaled 451 million pounds, up 1.9 percent from the same time the prior year.
The USDA announced February’s margin at $8.46 per hundredweight (cwt) for the Dairy Margin Coverage program. At the $9.50 coverage level, participating dairies received an indemnity of $1.04 cents per cwt. For program year 2026, this will make the second consecutive month where the margin fell below the $9.50 trigger and resulted in payments. February’s…
Based on the USDA Dairy Products report, total cheese output was 1.16 billion pounds, up 3.9 percent year over year. Italian-type cheese production increased by 6.8 percent from February 2025 to 506 million pounds in February 2026. American type cheese output totaled 451 million pounds, up 1.9 percent from the same time the prior year.
For 2025, cheese consumption reached a new, record high, based on recent USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) data. American-style cheese domestic consumption did not reach 2023’s peak, but 2025 levels did slightly surpass 2024’s numbers. Consumption of other cheeses reached a new record high for the fifth year in a row. However, the increase in…
According to the USDA Dairy Products report, January 2026 butter output rose 6 percent year over year to 231.5 million pounds. In the Central region, butter production increased by 13.3 percent from the same month the prior year. Inventories remained low due to strong domestic demand and export sales. All of these factors contributed to…
Based on recently released U.S. Census Bureau data, dairy exports reached a three-year high in 2025. U.S. milk solids exports totaled 2.32 million metric tons (MT) and were valued at $9.63 billion, up 15 percent from the prior year’s levels, almost setting a new all-time record. As a result of dairy exports’ performance throughout 2025,…
In the February USDA Milk Production Report, the year-end U.S. data was released. For last year, the U.S. milk production totaled 232 billion pounds, a 2.6 percent increase from 2024’s total pounds. For 2025, the U.S. milk production total was revised upward 176 million pounds from January’s initial estimate. Looking back over the past ten…
On February 17, the Global Dairy Trade (GDT) index was up 3.6 percent from the last session to an average of $4,028 per metric ton (MT). With the exception of cheddar, all products increased from the prior event. Butter closed on an average price of $6,347 per MT, up 10.7 percent from last session and…
Based on the Announcement of Class and Component Prices, released on February 4, January’s Class II Price was $13.92 per hundredweight (cwt.), down 49 cents from the prior month. The Class II Butterfat Price was $1.4595 per lb., a 12-cent decrease from December’s $1.5831 per lb. Class III Price fell $1.27 from December to $14.59…
Based on the January 2026 USDA Cattle Inventory Report, all cows and heifers that have calved totaled 37.2 million head, down slightly from 37.3 million head from January 2025. Milk cow numbers reached 9.57 million head, up 2.0 percent from the prior year and the highest since 1993. However, U.S. milk cow number growth has…
