If you have not been following the spread of HPAI in dairy cattle, as of May 14, there are 46 herds in 9 states that have been infected with the disease. Most herds have reported a 10 – 14 day recovery period for the cattle that were affected, with decreased milk production, rumination and feed…
Dairy exports continued their downward trend from 2023 in the first quarter of 2024. Total dairy exports declined year over year in March, with total dairy export volumes dropping 4.5 percent to 527 million pounds, while the value of those exports fell 9.2 percent to $740 million. The year-over-year decline in March came on the…
The March margin under USDA’s Dairy Margin Coverage Program was announced just after the enrollment for the 2024 Program closed. The margin is 15 cents above the maximum $9.50 margin coverage level, announced at $9.65 per cwt, the highest since Dec. 2022. March’s all-milk price was announced at $20.70 per cwt., up 10 cents from…
USDA revised its U.S. herd estimates for the first two months of the year in the latest Milk Production Report, showing the nation’s herd size increasing 19,000 head from January to February to 9.342 million head. However, the herd contracted again in March, dropping 7,000 head to 9.335 million head.
We are less than two weeks away from the deadline for producers to enroll in USDA’s Dairy Margin Coverage Program for the 2024 Program Year. You have until April 29 to visit your local FSA office, choose your margin level, and pay the administration fee of $100. For a $9.50 per hundredweight margin level, the…
The Class III milk futures prices have been rebounding since the beginning of April, thanks to recent reports that point to an increasing demand for cheese. Since April 1, Class III milk futures for April through July contracts are up 60 cents per hundredweight, now at $16.92 per hundredweight, with the price per pound for…
USDA announced the February margin under the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) Program this week at $9.44 per hundredweight, just 6 cents below the $9.50 threshold. The margin will result in a $0.06 per cwt. indemnity payment for those covered at the maximum level, or just under $50 on one million pounds of production history. The…
Total milk production in the U.S. was down year-over-year for the 8th consecutive month, according to the USDA Milk Production Report released March 20th. February’s total milk production was 18.105 billion pounds, 1.4% below February 2023 levels, when adjusted for Leap Year. Cow numbers nationwide fell 89,000 head to 9.33 million head, up 10,000 from…
Commodity prices went on a roller coaster ride last week with news of an apparent illness affecting dairy cattle in Texas. The USDA and the Texas Animal Health Commission are currently investigating reported occurrences of the illness in the Texas Panhandle. No cause has been determined, but the Texas Animal Health Commission is conducting a…
February 28, 2024 was the first day dairy farms could enroll in the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) Program for the 2024 Program Year. You have until April 29, 2024 to enroll at your local Farm Service Agency. However, those who enroll early in the process could receive a payment as early as mid-March for their…
