Inflation continues to pressure dairy sales at the retail level while cow numbers and milk production continue slight growth compared to last year. The spring flush is expected to peak this month with warmer summer weather expected to begin reducing milk production in the warmer climate states in June. Fluid milk orders are down with…
Now that spring crop work is in full swing, it is appropriate for the reminder that safety is of the utmost importance. We know the dangers farmers face daily. However, sometimes if we are in a hurry to complete tasks or doing dangerous jobs that have been completed without issue year after year, we can…
Spring has sprung across most of the country, and the latest USDA Crop Progress report (May 8, 2023) is starting to reflect this with the top 18 corn and soybean producing states showing progress getting corn and soybeans in the ground. The top 18 corn producers (including 16th-ranked Pennsylvania) planted 92% of the nation’s corn…
The Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) feed cost declined by 39 cents during March compared to February. All three DMC feed cost factors – corn, soybean meal (SBM), and superior alfalfa hay – experienced declines that resulted in a final total DMC feed cost of $15.02 per cwt. Unfortunately, the U.S. all-milk price declined an additional…
The improvement in Class III milk prices that were seen in March did not continue into April. Class IV milk prices stabilized somewhat from previous months’ drops but continued a downward trajectory. Slightly increased milk production, coupled with building dairy product stocks, have resulted in lower dairy product prices across the board. This is bringing…
The answer to this question is complex, but based on information published by the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) in its April 6, 2023 “U.S. Dairy Exporter Blog,” the short-term answer is: Yes. You can find and subscribe to the “U.S. Dairy Exporter Blog” at www.usdec.org. The blog mentions several reasons why exports will be…
There have not been any major changes to the Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) system since 2000, except for the legislative change in the formula for pricing the Class I Mover, which was implemented in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed flaws in the current system, with this formula change in place, that resulted in lower…
Like most years, the 2022 growing season in Pennsylvania was not consistent across the state. Some portions of the state experienced drought conditions while other parts of the state were too wet at times. According to the USDA Crop Production Annual Summary released back in January, the result was reduced corn grain, corn silage, and…
The trend of year-over-year (YOY) increasing national milk production continued during February, while Pennsylvania’s YOY trend of decreasing milk production continued. With an improving world milk supply, U.S. prices are similar to European and New Zealand prices with perhaps the biggest determining factor being proximity to international buyers. That being said, January exports, the most…
As the risk education manager at the Center for Dairy Excellence, it is a main responsibility of mine to not only understand the available risk management opportunities, but also to be able to explain them to dairy farmers to help them determine what strategies will work best for their operations. I thought this week would…
