Subscribe

November 1, 2024: Milk Production and Markets

According to the USDA’s Milk Production report, Pennsylvania’s milk production came in at 779 million pounds for September 2024, up 0.1% year over year, after several months of slight to modest declines. From September 2023’s 465,000 head, Pennsylvania’s cow numbers experience a slight 1,000 head increase to 466,000 in September 2024. From August to September,…

October 25, 2024: Missed Opportunities

Opportunities are presented to us every day, but it’s the actions we take when they cross our path that determine our outcome. When it comes to dairy risk management, we may not see an opportunity for what it is until weeks or months later. However, no one is ever going to time the markets perfectly…

October 18, 2024: On The Markets

In mid-September the U.S. dairy markets were riding high. CME spot cheddar barrel prices were climbing toward record highs, and blocks were trading at historically elevated levels. Butter was sitting above the $3 per pound mark, while the nonfat dry milk market was pushing toward the highest levels in two years.

October 11, 2024: The Dock Worker Strike, Agriculture, and Automation

Many of us breathed a sigh of relief late last week when East Coast dock workers ended their strike and went back to work. They ended the strike after they reached a tentative agreement with port owners on wages. During the strike, grocery stores saw panicked shoppers emptying shelves, while business owners found their supplies…

October 4, 2024: August Margin is Highest Margin Since Program’s Start

USDA announced August’s Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) margin at $13.72 per cwt, the highest margin since the program’s inception in 2019. The margin did not trigger indemnities at any coverage level. August’s all-milk price came in at $23.60 per cwt, jumping 80 cents from July’s $22.80. At $23.60 per cwt, August’s all-milk price is the…

September 27, 2024: Can Strong Milk Prices Last Into 2025?

If you’re inclined to bury your head in the sand when thinking about milk prices, now might be a good time to come up for air. Milk prices heading into the fourth quarter for both Class III and IV are sitting squarely above $21 per hundredweight, supporting some of the best revenues dairies have seen…

September 20, 2024: Protect Your Herd from Avian Influenza

With the recent confirmation of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in California dairy herds, 14 states have been confirmed to have HPAI in dairy herds as of September 6, 2024. Although HPAI has not been identified in Pennsylvania dairy herds, it is important to protect our herds and our operations by remaining vigilant and using…

September 13, 2024: A Reminder to Be Safe

The National Safety Council always earmarks the third week in September as National Farm Safety and Health Week. The annual promotion was first an initiative by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944 to remind the farm community to prioritize safety. As farm equipment has gotten much larger and farm practices have gotten much more complex,…

September 6, 2024: Market Update

July’s DMC Margin came in at $12.33 per hundredweight (cwt), up 67 cents from June. With July’s margin $2.83 above the $9.50 trigger, this makes the fifth consecutive month in program year 2024 where no DMC payments were issued at any coverage level.

August 30, 2024: Industry Feedback on USDA FMMO Recommended Decision Nearing Deadline

Anyone tracking the U.S. dairy industry has undoubtedly heard of the ongoing process of changing the Federal Milk Marketing Orders (FMMO) system. After a year of consideration, 12,000 pages of testimony and 49 days of hearings, the USDA released their recommended decision for Federal Milk Marking Order updates at the beginning of July. The document…