Editor’s note: Jaydyn Isiminger of Union City, Pennsylvania, recently wrote this speech as part of her participation in the Pennsylvania Jersey Queen contest. This speech is reprinted with her permission.

Reproductive management and genetic advancement are at top speed in the dairy industry, accelerated by the reproductive tools available to dairy producers. Since 1980, Trans Ova Genetics has been leading the way, offering embryo transfer and advanced reproductive technologies. John Metzger of the Iowa division of Trans Ova was at the 2016 Great Lakes Regional Dairy Conference in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, to help dairy producers discover what role embryo transfer, in vitro fertilization (IVF) and genomics play in their dairy operations.

Editor’s note: This article is the second in a series profiling sources for an in-depth feature about the Chinese dairy industry, appearing in print later this summer. Walter Chen, Ph.D., spends half of his professional life in his native China and the other half at home with his family in California.

In Michigan, summer is well on its way. We are actually just finishing out a week in the 80s, which isn't very common for early summer. With summer comes heat abatement concerns. So often we are concerned with the cows, but calves should also be a concern during the summer.

Let’s face it; those who have a dairy operation must love what they do. But we are subject to the same marketing principles that apply to other industries: supply and demand.

The largest one-third of California dairies – producing about two-thirds of the state’s milk – saw a first-half 2016 breakeven milk price of about $15.20 per hundredweight, according to the Rabobank Food & Agribusiness Research and Advisory Team. Unfortunately, they’ll see an actual milk price well below that.

The U.S. turned in an agricultural trade deficit in April, according to USDA’s monthly export and import estimates. Ag exports were valued at $9.6 billion; imports were estimated at just under $10 billion. A review of dairy product, genetics and hay exports follow.

U.S. alfalfa hay exports were down in April, but still tipped the scales at more than 190,000 metric tons for a second consecutive month, according to USDA’s Foreign Ag Service.

Reproductive performance impacts milk production and, therefore, profitability of a dairy herd. Recently, improvements have been noted in 21-day pregnancy rates for dairy cows. These improvements have been the result of increased genetic selection for fertility traits, refined reproductive management programs, improved cow comfort and facilities management, and redefined nutritional programs for dry and lactating dairy cows.

The National Milk Producers Federation urges Congress to create a federal labeling standard for foods produced with biotechnology. A comment period on organic livestock management rules is extended. A U.S. Supreme Court ruling on ‘waters of the U.S.’ is seen as a win for landowners. This and other U.S. dairy policy news can be found here.