News

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.

A special task force of the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) has released a report detailing recommended reforms to the Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) system.

Agricultural students with journalism or communications training are encouraged to apply for Progressive Dairy’s 2020 editorial internship program. Applications are due Dec. 20, 2019.

Digest Highlights

• DMC enrollment closes 
• Global Dairy Trade index steady
• AMPI celebrates 50 years
• MSU completes dairy sciences building