Industry News

Florida and Georgia dairy leaders continue to assess the damage from Hurricane Michael, but it appears Georgia suffered the most severe damage.

The USDA’s October World Ag Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report boosted milk production forecasts for both 2018 and 2019, while also projecting only a slight improvement in 2019 prices.

For only the second time in World Dairy Expo’s 52-year history, the Supreme Champion of the Junior Show and the Supreme Champion of World Dairy Expo were the same cow. Cutting Edge T Delilah, exhibited by Kyle Barton of Copake, New York, was named Grand Champion Brown Swiss and the 2018 Supreme Champion of both the junior and open shows.

In the ever-changing and ever-challenging dairy industry, the new Dairy Revenue Protection (Dairy-RP) program is a welcome sight for most in the industry as a way to manage or mitigate risk. Your participation in the program will likely be a topic of discussion with your ag lender in the upcoming months. What should you be prepared to talk about?

Tariffs apparently weren’t a barrier to milk powder sales to Mexico, but the ongoing trade war did have a detrimental impact on overall dairy and hay sales to China in August. Dairy cattle exports were steady, but buyers are becoming more demanding.

Digest Highlights

• Arla Foods, Foremost Farms USA to explore strategic partnership
• Co-op urges USDA funding for dairy diversion program
• FARM Program launches workforce development module
• Dairy margins end September steady
• ‘Undeniably Dairy’ fall campaign reconnects consumers, producers
• Geographical indications, common food names protected under USMCA
• American Butter Institute urges FDA to address labels
• ADA North East offers virtual farm field trips for schools
• Maryland schools receive milk coolers