Here’s Progressive Dairy’s monthly review of April 2024 FMMO data to provide some additional transparency to your milk check.

In recently released news, the USDA offers funding for producers affected by influenza A (H5N1), dairies that dissolved in early 2024 are eligible for Dairy Margin Coverage enrollment, farmer sentiment declines, and announcements from dairy processors and cooperatives.

The USDA’s World Ag Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report offers forecasts for dairy, beef and feedstuffs.

Despite climbing U.S. cheese shipments in March, U.S. dairy exports fell into the red with a 7% slip from a strong year-over-year performance in February. Here’s Progressive Dairy’s 30,000-foot view at dairy-related export categories.

Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) “mailbox” prices averaged about 96 cents per hundredweight (cwt) less than announced average “all-milk” prices in January. It was the widest monthly spread since November 2022.

Here is a summary of the latest news affecting your dairy operation's bottom line for early May.

Milk checks for April milk production will reflect a lower Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) Class III price and a historically low protein component value.

The House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-Pennsylvania) and U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan) each released overviews of their plans and priorities for the 2024 Farm Bill on May 1.

Quarterly average prices in April reached the same peak of $2,120 per head as seen in October 2014.

The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released its Agricultural Prices report April 30, which includes feed costs used to calculate March Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program margins and indemnity payments. Consistent feedstuff prices and a slight improvement in the all-milk price brought the average milk income margin to $9.65 per hundredweight (cwt).