In dairy-related news to finish out March 2026:
- ADC seeks transparency in USDA cost survey
- NMPF: Dairy product prices see noticeable improvement
- Holstein Association USA board approves updates to TPI Formula
- Collaboration creates bilingual videos on cattle sustainability
- Chobani announces $567 million expansion of La Colombe plant
- USDEC names winner of Excellence in Exports Award
- Agreement reached after strike at AMPI Dairy
ADC seeks transparency in USDA cost survey
The American Dairy Coalition (ADC) is drafting final comments for submission to the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) on the Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) for mandatory manufacturing cost and yield surveys tied to Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) make allowances. In it, ADC raises concerns about transparency, scope and limited time for farmer input.
Dairy farmers are also invited to submit a public comment to the Federal Register before the deadline tonight, March 30, at 11:59 p.m. (EDT).
ADC provided this quick and simple comment for farmers to submit:
“As a dairy farmer, I did not have enough notice of this rulemaking. For a mandatory cost survey, I want clear transparency on what is deducted from my milk check and what those deductions are paying for. Processors make many other products that are not part of the mandatory price survey or federal formulas. Are we covering those costs in the make allowance even though those products are not price-surveyed? Our component yields today have improved plant efficiency, but we don’t see that reflected either. As a dairy farmer, I have the same areas of input cost increases as processors, but I don’t have a make allowance, just a declining net pay price.”
In ADC’s submission, they provide analysis of the first eight months under the 2025 FMMO changes that show an average increase of 93 cent to $1 for total make allowances ranging from $3.22 to $5.04 per hundredweight across Class III and Class IV minimum price formulas at pool average test, with further total impact per pound of components above average.
“In practical terms, that’s a multidollar deduction built into the pricing system on the front end,” said Laurie Fischer, CEO of ADC.
ADC’s comments emphasize that farmers believe this mandatory survey will function as an audit, providing clarity on what is being deducted from their milk checks and what those deductions are paying for. However, the 30-day comment period, coupled with limited public outreach, left many farmers unaware of the process and unable to provide meaningful input.
“Farmers didn’t have time to fully engage in a process that directly affects how their milk is priced,” Fischer said. “There is a real expectation that this survey will provide transparency, and USDA needs to ensure that expectation is met.”
NMPF: Dairy product prices see noticeable improvement
After starting the year in a funk, dairy product prices have noticeably improved even as milk production remains robust, increasing 3.4% in January on a liquid basis, according to a report from Katriel Marks-Yant at the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF).
Summarizing dairy markets in the March 2026 Dairy Management Inc./NMPF Dairy Market Report, Marks-Yant says, “while the milking herd continues to grow, component growth surprisingly decelerated to start 2026, indicating that producers are responding to strong economic incentives from beef-on-dairy but not pushing for maximum milkfat tests with the fall in butter prices. Despite heavy milk production, dairy product supplies and inventories are not overly burdensome. In fact, nonfat dry milk prices are rising due to limited supply, and butter is finding support due to reported low inventories.”
Domestic demand for dairy proteins remains remarkable, and when combined with growing milkfat exports, signs indicated that the U.S. is moving back toward balance.
For more information on commercial use, dairy trade, milk production, product inventories, prices and margins, view the newly formatted and expanded March 2026 Dairy Market Report.
Holstein Association USA board approves updates to TPI formula
Holstein Association USA’s board of directors has approved an update to the TPI formula to respond to the current needs of registered Holstein breeders and ensure the genetic tools keep pace with current and future industry trends. The change comes from recommendations presented by the Genetic Advancement Committee during the association’s recent board meeting March 26-27 in Kansas City, Missouri.
The weighting for PTA Protein and PTA Fat within Holstein Association USA’s Total Performance Index (TPI) will be adjusted to better align TPI with current and emerging trends in milk pricing and processor needs for fat to protein ratios. This change will be implemented for the upcoming April 2026 official genetic evaluation.
Specific changes to the TPI formula include:
- Increasing the weighting on PTA Protein from 19 to 24
- Decreasing the weighting on PTA Fat from 19 to 14
This update adjusts only the relative emphasis placed on PTA Protein and PTA Fat; no other TPI trait weightings will be affected. This update results in a very high correlation (0.9978) between the revised TPI formula and the current version, indicating that the change represents a refinement, rather than a fundamental shift, in how animals are ranked.
Collaboration creates bilingual videos on cattle sustainability
DairyKind, the University of California (UC) – Davis Clarity and Leadership for Environmental Awareness and Research (CLEAR) Center and Alltech have collaborated to develop a pair of educational videos focused on clarifying what sustainability means within the cattle industry. The videos deliver the same core content, with one presented in English and the other in Spanish. This ensures greater accessibility and provides a valuable educational resource for Spanish-speaking audiences across the industry.
While the term sustainability is widely used in the industry, it is often misunderstood or interpreted inconsistently. These videos provide an accessible, science-based resource to help producers, industry professionals and other stakeholders better understand sustainability in the context of cattle production. Intended to serve as an educational tool that supports informed discussions, training efforts and improved communication across the industry, the videos can be incorporated into training programs, used as a stand-alone learning resource or integrated into onboarding training processes at dairy and beef operations across the U.S.
Both videos are available on the CLEAR Center’s YouTube channel CLEAR Center’s Youtube, The Farmers Behind a Sustainable Future and Los agricultores detrás de un futuro sostenible. They will also be featured on DairyKind’s platform as part of the company’s training and educational resources, and they will be incorporated into the Alltech On-Farm Support training modules.
Chobani announces $567 million expansion of La Colombe plant
Chobani is making a major investment in West Michigan with a multiphase, $567 million expansion of its La Colombe plant, which is expected to add over 200,000 square feet of production space and nearly 340 new jobs, while retaining 312 jobs.
La Colombe first started in Philadelphia in 1994, making high-quality, expertly crafted coffee in cafes across the country. In 2016, the brand launched its signature ready-to-drink lattes, bringing the coffeehouse experience into hands across the country. Made in Norton Shores with locally sourced Michigan milk, La Colombe lattes helped redefine the ready-to-drink coffee category with cleaner ingredients, less sugar and better nutrition.
The increased production also means that Chobani will buy significantly more milk from local Michigan farmers for the La Colombe plant, increasing supply from approximately 30 million to an expected 615 million pounds annually over the next few years.
USDEC names winner of Excellence in Exports Award
The U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) announced the recipient of its Excellence in Exports (ExEx) Award, which recognizes member companies that are driving the U.S. dairy industry forward.
Orange Cheese Company of Woodbridge, Connecticut, is this year’s honoree.
“For Orange Cheese Company, exports are about more than commerce – they are about bringing the best of American dairy to consumers across Asia and positioning U.S. cheese to succeed on the global stage,” said USDEC President and CEO Krysta Harden.
Working on both sides of the Pacific, Orange Cheese connects U.S. cheesemakers with Asian buyers, translating American quality and innovation into products that fit local tastes, formats and performance needs. Today, the company supplies U.S. cheese to 11 countries across Asia and, earlier this year, participated in the Gulfood show in Dubai to begin establishing a presence in the Middle East.
Agreement reached after strike at AMPI Dairy
Members of Teamsters Local 471 at AMPI Dairy in Paynesville, Minnesota, overwhelmingly ratified a strong first contract after going on strike over fair wages, benefits and job protections.
The three-year agreement includes a 14% wage increase over the life of the contract, retroactive pay going back to March 2025 when the bargaining unit was certified, coverage under Teamsters health care, and strong successorship language ensuring that workers’ jobs and union rights are protected if the facility is sold or ownership changes.
