News

Dairy farmers who procrastinated in signing up for the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program for 2019 have until Friday, Sept. 20 to enroll.

The struggles faced by dairy farmers and potential programs to alleviate those issues were the focus of congressional briefings held Sept. 12 in Washington, D.C.

Compared to a month ago, the USDA’s September World Ag Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report expects dairy cow numbers to continue to shrink into 2020, but stronger milk output per cow will buffer overall milk production declines. Price projections moved modestly higher for both years.

Low-fat and fat-free milk plays a key role in school feeding programs and is required to be offered with every school breakfast and lunch because of its unique nutrient package. In school year 2018, more than 3 billion pounds of milk were served in school feeding programs.

Nearly half of dairy owners have heightened concern for adequate forage supplies for their farms this year. That’s according to recent online and phone surveys conducted by Progressive Dairy.