With the current academic year winding down, there’s no recess in the debate over flavored milk options served in school meal programs.

Based on Class III-IV milk futures prices, depooling incentives flip back to Class IV milk handlers in May and June.

The Coca-Cola Company will build a new $650 million fairlife production facility in Monroe County, New York.

March 2023 Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program indemnity payments will top $126 million, boosting payments for the first three months of the year to more than $305 million.

January 2023 average “mailbox” prices averaged about 82 cents per hundredweight (cwt) less than announced average “all-milk” prices for the same month.

NMPF will pursue two other components of its FMMO proposal outside of the federal order hearing process.

If and once a hearing is granted, multiple steps mean any proposed FMMO changes would be subject to a producer referendum in late summer 2024, at the earliest.

With a USDA decision deadline still about more week away, numerous dairy cooperatives have joined in voicing opposition to a dairy processor request for a Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) hearing.

Class IV milk represented about 17% of the total milk pooled in all FMMOs in March, the highest volume and percentage since last May.

Factoring into dairy feed costs, 2023 dry hay acreage is expected to rebound slightly from last year’s 115-year low.