Latest milk production report sparks controversy over herd

2022 has been marked by repeated USDA revisions by of milking cow numbers. Around midyear, we saw a dramatic upward revision in the herd by nearly 25,000 heifers. Now, we are seeing a revision lower to previously reported numbers. The new numbers show a [...]

Butter stocks rise, herd does not….

In a proverbial good news/bad news sense, the dairy market received updates from USDA on both stocks of dairy products in cold storage as well as an update on the total herd across the country this past week. Last Tuesday, USDA’s cold storage report [...]

Dairy market jittery ahead of key USDA monthly reports

Valentine’s Day must have fanned the flames of dairy bulls as the Fonterra Global Dairy Trade auction registered its third consecutive hike in prices. The Feb. 15 event saw prices rise across all product categories with a cumulative growth of 4.2 percent. Core products [...]

Signs of weakness creeping into dairy market

After prices rallied sharply in November, the dairy market seemed dominated by bullish buyers and tight heifer supply. However, when the market is leaning so hard in one direction, with brokers/distributors only seeing dollar signs, it may be a time to pause, reflect, and [...]

Higher prices help lift dairy herd

October saw the second consecutive increase in the U.S. dairy herd as higher prices for products like cheese and non-fat dried milk (NFDM) helped lift milking revenues. The November Milk Production report showed that the 24-state number and total U.S. herd recovered by 5,000 [...]

Cooler fall temps as dairy herd shows signs of recovery

Dairy data releases in the last two weeks included some encouraging signs of herd recovery and bearish stocks numbers. Last Monday’s USDA Milk Production Report showed a modest uptick in the 24-state cow number to 8,796,000 heifers. The total U.S. herd was about flat, [...]

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