Dairy Reports

Reports from CoBank Knowledge Exchange focusing on the dairy industry.

 
 

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Higher Food Inflation, Slowing Economy Dampen Dairy Demand
May 2023

Average U.S. mailbox milk prices have dropped more than $6.00/cwt since peaking last May. While milk supply here and in Europe has been edging marginally higher since late 2022, we would argue that the price decline is largely due to broader economic factors that are limiting dairy demand both in the U.S. and abroad. 

Updating Make Allowances is Central to the Future of Federal Milk Marketing Orders
January 2023

Federal Milk Marketing Orders establish the minimum prices that regulated processors must pay for farm milk. 

Record Butter Prices May Push Consumers to Cheaper Options and Slow Cheese Production
June 2022

Prices for retail butter are outpacing nearly all other goods — up 13% YTD according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics — and the worry about its impact on demand is legitimate. 

COVID-19 Spiked Demand for High-Protein Whey, but is Growth Sustainable?
February 2022

The U.S. is one of the world leaders in whey production and exports. Technological advances have created new value streams beyond commodity whey. In the last 20 years, whey has been transformed from a cheese-making waste byproduct often spread on farm fields as a low-value fertilizer to a highly valuable co-product, driven by rising global consumer demand for protein.

US Dairy Processors Must Be Versatile to Compete in Southeast Asia
June 2021

Over the past decade, U.S. milk production has increased by an average annual growth rate of 1.5% while domestic demand has increased at a slightly slower pace.

Dollar Divergence: US Dollar Index Does Not Reflect True Dollar Impact on US Ag Exports
February 2021

The U.S. Dollar Index saw rapid deflation in 2020 and has coincided with a rally in commodity prices. 

When the Pandemic Breaks Milk Prices: A Study in Returning to Normal
December 2020

The pandemic in 2020 caused unprecedented market volatility in dairy prices, leading to lower milk checks for dairy producers. However, the price spread is expected to realign in the first half of 2021, bringing normalcy to producer price differentials and mailbox milk prices.

Interest in California Dairy Manure Methane Digesters Follows the Money
August 2020

California’s 1.4 million dairy cows are the largest source of methane in the state, and the biggest concentration of dairy-related methane in the country.