News

You’re busy – milking cows, managing employees and hoping to get some hay made. With that in mind, Progressive Dairyman looks at issues in the news impacting you and your dairy business. In recognition of your time, we’ll attempt to summarize recent events or actions making dairy headlines and reported in our weekly digital newsletter, Progressive Dairyman Extra. Then, we’ll try to put that news into perspective and briefly describe how it might affect you.

Consumers are inundated with confusing messages about the foods they eat, ranging from how it’s produced, who produced it, its environmental impact and whether it’s good for them. Thankfully, most consumers still seek authenticity and have a sincere curiosity about their food and the story behind it, including wanting to know the people who brought it to their tables.

The Undeniably Dairy campaign – created two years ago by the dairy checkoff to build trust and relevance in dairy with consumers – is hitting its mark. Dairy farmers are a key part of the program’s content. And, consumers want to hear their stories!

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include comments from leaders of U.S. dairy organizations.

The USDA will roll out another three-pronged aid package aimed at helping U.S. farmers suffering financial damages due to ongoing trade disputes. Details regarding direct payments to dairy producers have yet to be released.

Heavy cow culling continued to keep the lid on milk production growth in April. Monthly year-over-year output has now been up less than 1 percent in six of the past seventh months, with March 2019 production lower than the year before.