Louisiana milk production during the January - March 2022 quarter was 33.0 million pounds, down 13 percent from the same period in 2021 but up 18 percent from the October - December 2021 quarter.
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The January 2022 Price & Production Summary gives prices for cattle, poultry, hogs and dairy.
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Dairy MAX is committed to strengthening agriculture and sustaining a viable future for dairy farming. One way that Dairy MAX follows through this commitment is the Dairy MAX scholarship program, which supports local dairy farm families while investing in future generations.
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Louisiana milk production during the October - December 2021 quarter was 27.0 million pounds, down 13 percent from the same period in 2020 but up 8 percent from the July - September quarter.
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When economists try to forecast markets, they typically look at the history of prices and production and consumer demand and other market factors. Their statistics-based forecasts assume the basic relationships don’t change; and that usually works pretty well.
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USDA opened sign-up for the Dairy Margin Coverage program and expanded the program to allow dairy farmers to better protect their operations by enrolling supplemental milk production.
The sign-up period, which started Dec. 13, runs through Feb. 18. The sign-up allows farmers to get coverage through this important safety-net program for another year, as well as get additional assistance through the new Supplemental DMC.
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Tucked in the rolling hills of Washington Parish sits the LSU AgCenter Southeast Research Station. Pastures, barns and a milking parlor dot the landscape as do the dairy cows that are the focus of the research at the station.
Established in 1944, the station opened at a time when many families in the Florida Parishes had at least a few dairy cows. The Franklinton Chamber of Commerce had been working for several years to get an experiment station in the area to conduct research applicable to dairy and beef cattle.
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Dairy demand has been a bright spot for agriculture the past two years, and supply chain hurdles haven’t curbed the record demand so far. The hunger for dairy products internationally is on pace to set new records in 2021, as much of that added demand is due to China.
In total, it’s estimated a day's worth of U.S. milk production each week goes to exports, which equates to nearly $6.5 billion in U.S. dairy products, which are sent to 133 countries. The top buyer of U.S. dairy products is China, which has been on a buying spree lately. U.S. dairy exports to China were up 32% during the first half of the year on a milk equivalent basis.
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Home baking is back in full swing during the holiday season, and Americans are expected to purchase 161 million lb. of butter between the second week of November through Christmas. That’s enough to bake more than 11 billion butter cookies!
While butter sales usually increase during the holidays, the pandemic, which spiked a rebirth of home cooking, has also caused butter sales to grow significantly year-round, according to a Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin press release. With home cooking and baking on the rise, the organization has seen a 400% spike in recipe searches over the course of the pandemic.
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As Tangipahoa Parish residents sheltered in place as Hurricane Ida hit, Susie and Harrell Sharkey were fretting over their cows. The Sharkeys have been in the dairy farming business for more than 40 years — one of a dwindling number of milk providers in the state. Their 110 dairy cows need to be milked twice a day, and as the 2 a.m. feeding approached during the storm, a piece of their pump broke.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released the details of the Pandemic Market Volatility Assistance Program as part of meetings with farmers and a tour of farms with U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy from Vermont.
In June, Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack committed to providing additional pandemic assistance for dairy farmers in an exchange at a hearing with Leahy, who is the Senate Appropriations Committee chairman. Through the program, the USDA will provide about $350 million in pandemic assistance payments to dairy farmers who received a lower value for their products due to market abnormalities caused by the pandemic. The assistance is part of a larger package including permanent improvements to the Dairy Margin Coverage safety net program.
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Dairy MAX and Complexity Gaming have kicked off a six-episode series, “Cooking with Complexity”, where players and influencers can learn to prepare healthy, balanced meals featuring dairy as a key ingredient. Each episode is hosted by Monsoon, a Complexity athlete, and features chef influencer Scotty Scott along with other guests trying out dairy recipes from Dallas Cowboys headquarters.
The premier episode of the series gives viewers a first-hand look at how milk goes from farm to table, taking them on a virtual dairy farm and processing tour where they have an opportunity to learn about everything from animal care to technology. For the tour Monsoon traveled to Wolf’s Legendairy in Scotland, TX to meet with owner Adam Wolf. Wolf showcased his operation and shared the importance of caring for both animals and the planet from a dairy farmer’s perspective.
Sustainability is key in dairy farming and practiced through methods such as feeding cows byproducts that humans can’t eat like cottonseed hulls.
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For years milk has been a staple for many families when they are looking something delicious and nutritious. But now there’s even more good news to share about real dairy milk.
New information based on updated U.S. Department of Agriculture databases shows milk packs 13 essential nutrients in every serving, including zinc, selenium, iodine and potassium, plus nine more vitamins and minerals contributing to health, immune function, and strong bones and muscles.
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Research out of Colorado State University suggests that better land management practices globally can help the livestock industry reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But while the science pointed to almost a complete reduction in GHG through rotational grazing in many cattle systems, the efficiency strategies they examined were not as successful in the U.S. studies. Why? Because the researchers suspect that U.S. ranchers are already in the top tier of using the most environmentally effective strategies.
It further puts a dent in the disproportionate amount of blame that U.S. beef producers get for the climate change crisis, and shows just how misguided the 2019 Green New Deal push against agriculture was.
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This week, USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service released its monthly Milk Production report, showing yet another annual decline in the number of licensed dairy operations in the United States. After many years of depressed prices, some dairy farmers faced an extremely tough year as the industry struggled with a global pandemic, negative Producer Price Differentials and Federal Milk Marketing Order de-pooling while others enjoyed near record milk prices due to volatility in cheese prices (More Negative PPDs and De-Pooling Reignite Federal Milk Marketing Order Debate). This year-over-year decline in the number of dairy operations continues a long trend of farmers deciding to exit the dairy business. Since 2003, the U.S. has lost more than half of its licensed dairy operations, now just shy of 32,000 dairy operations.
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