Dairy cows in Texas and Kansas has tested positive for bird flu, U.S. officials said Monday.
Officials with the Texas Animal Health Commission confirmed the flu virus is the Type A H5N1 strain, known for decades to cause outbreaks in birds and to occasionally infect people. The virus is affecting older dairy cows in those states and in New Mexico, causing decreased lactation and low appetite.
Read MoreStarting next Wednesday, dairy producers will be able to enroll for 2024 Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC), an important safety net program offered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that provides producers with price support to help offset milk and feed price differences. This year’s DMC signup begins Feb. 28, 2024, and ends April 29, 2024. For those who sign up for 2024 DMC coverage, payments may begin as soon as March 4, 2024, for any payments that triggered in January 2024.
Read MoreThe American Farm Bureau Federation and National Farmers Union sent a letter today requesting that USDA bring stability to Class I milk prices. The letter, sent jointly by AFBF President Zippy Duvall and NFU President Rob Larew, asks Secretary Tom Vilsack to issue an interim final decision to return the Class I mover formula to the “higher of” the Class III or IV calculations, as it was before the 2018 farm bill.
Read MoreThe American Farm Bureau Federation sent a letter today to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack urging the agency to issue a final decision on an emergency basis to speed the implementation of the “higher-of” Class I mover formula to buffer dairy farmers from further losses during the forthcoming Federal Milk Marketing Order rulemaking process.
Read MoreLouisiana milk production during the July - September 2023 quarter was 20.0 million pounds, down 9 percent from the same period in 2022 and down 31 percent from the April - June quarter. The average number of milk cows on farms during the quarter was 7,000 head, 1,000 head lower than the same period last year and 1,000 head lower than the previous quarter.
Read MoreThe August milk margin triggered the eighth consecutive payment for dairy producers who obtained Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) for the 2023 program year. August’s income over feed margin is $6.46 per hundredweight (cwt.) with projected DMC payments totaling $120 million. To date, including the projected August payments, dairy producers have received more than $1.2 billion in much needed economic support for 2023 and margin forecasts indicate the likelihood of more to come before the end of the calendar year.
Read MoreAmerican Farm Bureau Federation economist Danny Munch presented testimony today on behalf of AFBF and its membership at the ongoing Federal Milk Marketing Order Pricing Formula hearing. This is the third time an AFBF representative has testified at the hearing. AFBF Chief Economist Roger Cryan previously testified on cheese and butter pricing and milk composition.
Read MoreThe American Farm Bureau Federation submitted multiple recommended reforms of Federal Milk Marketing Orders today to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and encouraged the department to move forward with a long-overdue hearing on federal milk pricing. The goal is to modernize milk pricing, protect dairy farmers from unfair treatment and ensure consumers have access to affordable fresh milk and dairy products.
Read MoreCiting statistics that show most students of color are sickened by the milk school cafeterias must serve, Louisiana Congressman Troy Carter has filed a bill to require schools to offer dairy alternatives during mealtimes.
Carter’s is but one of several bills in Congress and nearly half of the state Legislatures across the U.S. this year addressing controversies about dairy milk and the 77-year-old federal system that reimburses schools for giving milk to their students.
Read MoreBipartisan legislation introduced in both the Senate and House would require plant-based dairy alternatives made from nuts, seeds, plants and algae to no longer be used as dairy terms on milk, yogurt or cheese products. It awaits Congress decision later this year.
Read MoreLouisiana milk production during the October - December 2022 quarter was 25.0 million pounds, down 11 percent from the same period in 2021 but up 14 percent from the July - September quarter.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the details of additional assistance for dairy producers, including a second round of payments through the Pandemic Market Volatility Assistance Program (PMVAP) and a new Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program (ODMAP). The update to PMVAP and the new ODMAP will enable USDA to better support small- and medium-sized dairy operations who weathered the pandemic and now face other challenges.
Read MoreLouisiana milk production during the July - September 2022 quarter was 23.0 million pounds, down 8 percent from the same period in 2021 and down 28 percent from the April - June quarter. The average number of milk cows on farms during the quarter was 8,500 head, 500 head lower than the same period last year and the previous quarter.
Read MoreGoing back almost 100 years, the history of the farm bill largely tracks the history of food production in the United States as the legislation evolves to meet the needs of its modern-day constituents – farmers and consumers. Agriculture’s role in providing food security, and in turn national security, to the United States is more important than ever. And now, work on the next farm bill has started during a period of volatility on every front – political, economic, weather and beyond.
Read MoreThe annual Florida Parishes Dairy Day recently brought out the spirit of winning in youth showing off their culinary and artistic skills, and farmers received bragging rights with high-yielding milk cows.
The event, which is held every summer, began early in the morning with young people judging dairy cows and others preparing dishes for the cookery contest at the LSU AgCenter Southeast Research Station.
Read More
