Industry News

The USDA has clarified that acreage seeded to alfalfa-and-grass-mixture forage crops is not eligible for federal payments under the Market Facilitation Program (MFP).

Digest Highlights

• From deficit to surplus: USDA August trade numbers corrected
• Darigold launches digital outreach tool to share dairy’s environmental progress
• Private-public partnership adds dairy conservation incentives in Pennsylvania
• Water quality study launched in Lake Champlain Basin watersheds
• West Virginia ag department taking oversight of Grade A milk
• CMAB names fluid milk innovation finalists
• Brightmark Energy invests in New York dairy biogas project
• Rowell inducted into Vermont Ag Hall of Fame

The USDA’s latest outlook report raised milk production forecasts for both 2019 and 2020 but also projects slightly higher prices for most categories of milk. Higher corn and soybean prices are also forecast.

Digest Highlights

• Ruling moves DFA lawsuit closer to trial
• United Dairymen of Arizona, FrieslandCampina create dairy ingredient partnership
• U.S. per capita cheese consumption sets another record
• Dean Foods withdrawing from IDFA

Digest Highlights

• September Class III moves to five-year high
• 2020 Dairy Margin Coverage program enrollment period open
• USDA reopens comment period on ‘origin of livestock’ organic transition rule proposal
• NMPF seeks input on ‘zero-day’ antibiotic withdrawal periods
• WUD launches informational videos on California policy issues
• Vault Ag: Rice Dairy and Commodity Risk Management Group combine forces
• ABI: 1923 law requires ‘butter’ label enforcement
• CVDRMP opens membership to dairy heifer ranches

Editor's note: This article has been updated to include corrected information provided by the USDA. Originally, monthly USDA data showed August ag exports at $10.5 billion and imports at $11.3 billion.

Following is a statement released by the USDA: “On Oct 9th, 2019, the export, import, and trade balance figures for August 2019 and the 2019 fiscal and calendar year-to-date figures were corrected. Previously the import and export figures for August 2019 were inverted, which resulted in an error for the fiscal and calendar year-to-date as well for 2019.”

Although U.S. dairy product export volumes trail year-ago levels, August 2019 sales performance was in line with recent months, with overall volume about the same as June and July.