Industry News

• USDA opening bidding process for dairy products
• CWT export assistance hits 1 billion pounds of milk milestone
• ‘Tennessee Milk’ logo introduced
• 2018 MPP-Dairy buy-up premiums due Sept. 28
• Bill would impose moratorium on agricultural business mergers
• Land O'Lakes selects Dairy Accelerator program participants
• California producers receive alternative manure management project grants
• UW – Madison’s dairy product research projects launched
• Conferees named for ‘minibus’ appropriations bill
• USDA, FDA plan public meeting on use of animal cell culture technology to develop ‘meat’ products

Chelan Fresh, one of the world’s largest suppliers of apples, pears and cherries, is supporting the farmer-founded Fuel Up to Play 60 program by giving students better access to nutritious foods, including dairy, fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

After a three-year run when annual U.S. per capita dairy product consumption rose from the year before, 2017 yielded a small decline in overall consumption. The decrease was mostly attributed to a continuing drop in fluid milk consumption.

In part due to lower cheese and dry whey sales to China, U.S. dairy export volumes in July were the lowest since January. However, year-to-date exports remain ahead of last year’s pace, according to monthly data from USDA and the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC).

• Digest Highlights
• DPA petition seeks 2 cents of national checkoff for dairy product donation program
• USDA accepting bids for 9.6 million gallons of milk
• Arla proposes to pay all 2018 net profits to farmers
• FDA comment period on dairy identity standards extended
• Dairy’s map ends August drier
• California 4a, 4b prices improve
• July cull cow prices steady
• Global Dairy Trade prices mixed
• Louisiana Dairy Stabilization Study Commission holds first-ever meeting
• Missouri regulating ‘meat’ advertising, lawsuit filed
• Consuming milk at breakfast lowers blood glucose throughout the day

Eligible dairy and other farmers suffering lost export markets and lower commodity prices due to retaliatory tariffs can sign up for federal financial assistance. Applications are available online and through local USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices. The application period opened Sept. 4 and runs until Jan. 15, 2019.