Industry News

Digest Highlights

• ‘Retroactive’ MPP-Dairy sign-up open through May 10
• Cropp-Stephenson outlook more optimistic
• DFA to market products on GDT Marketplace
• Fed: Interest rate hikes on hold
• Coming up: What will 2019 crop acreage look like?
• Wisconsin dairy task force approves list of recommendations
• Iowa passes new ag trespass law
• Minnesota offers dairy farm improvement grants
• MMPA issues $1.5 million in cash patronage refunds
• Kroger teams up with Georgia dairy farmers
• East Central/Select Sires and NorthStar Cooperative to merge, May 1
• World Dairy Expo recognizes dairy leaders

Dairy Farmers of America (DFA), a national dairy marketing cooperative owned by more than 14,000 members on nearly 8,000 farms in 48 states, held its 21st annual meeting, March 18-20, in Kansas City, Missouri. The theme for this year’s meeting was “One Cooperative. One Planet. One Community.” — highlighting how DFA is working together with others with a link to dairy to protect the environment and nourish families around the world.

The USDA’s National Ag Statistics Service (NASS) is catching up on reports delayed due to the partial government shutdown earlier this year, releasing January and February 2019 milk production reports within a week of each other on March 12 and 19, respectively. There’s the potential for improved prices based on those numbers, according to Bob Cropp, professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

Although federal dairy safety net programs have been strengthened, efforts to change dairy policy affecting milk pricing and production have not ended. After a hard winter saw a high number of dairy farm exits, policy meetings and proposals are emerging this spring. 

Legislation prohibiting mislabeling of nondairy foods has been reintroduced in both houses of Congress. The legislation enhances efforts to encourage the FDA to enforce labeling regulations for plant-based imitators of milk, cheese, butter and other products.

Digest Highlights

• Dairy-RP coverage nears 20 billion pounds of milk
• Proposal extends H2-A visa program to dairy
• Cattle TB found on Texas dairy and calf-raising operation
• Georgia will be added as ‘major’ dairy state
• MMPA makes Michigan food bank donations
• University of Florida raising funds to renovate dairy farm
• Minnesota offers dairy farm improvement grants
• Value-added dairy education opportunities coming to Wisconsin
• Zoetis launches genomic test for Jerseys
• Animart merges with Animal Profiling Inc.