UNIFORM-Agri has more than 150 clients in the U.S. using its herd management software (under the BouMatic brand). The national comparisons listed in this graphic are based on comparing those users’ data with others throughout the world.

You’re busy milking cows, attending your co-op’s annual meeting and wondering how hemp fits in your 2020 cropping plans. With that in mind, Progressive Dairy looks at issues in the news impacting you and your dairy business.

The keynote session for the 19th annual Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Association (NODPA) Field Days focused on the massive changes seen in the organic dairy market over the past few years.

The signing of a “Phase One” trade agreement between the U.S and China provides encouragement that China will make additional purchases of U.S. agricultural products, but the full benefits for the U.S. dairy industry remain unclear.

Digest Highlights

• U.S. hay inventories rebound for some dairy states
• Central Valley dairies add to RNG supply
• Animal Agriculture Alliance follows activist trail
• DMC probabilities, enrollment updates
• Loeffler joins Senate ag committee
• Proposal seeks tighter checkoff oversight
• Eight signposts for U.S. dairy exports in 2020
• Hawaii DOH ends enforcement action against Big Island Dairy
• Fairlife enters creamer market
• Upper Midwest milk hauling charges rose at slower rate in 2019

Calling all U.S. dairy farmers! Interested in how milk handlers pay you for quality and volume? Have a point of view on equitable hauling cost structure? Have preferences for selling to a farmer-owned cooperative or independent handler?

The USDA’s January World Ag Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report cut milk production estimates for both 2019 and 2020, based on slower expected growth in milk per cow. However, while average milk prices will improve in 2020, the USDA reduced its price projections slightly from a month ago.

U.S. exports continued to improve in November, increasing from prior months and topping year-ago levels for the third straight month. Here’s a summary of the numbers from the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC):

A federal bankruptcy court judge has granted Borden Dairy Company permission to pay independent dairy farmers and dairy cooperatives for milk as the company works through the legal process of financial restructuring.

U.S. dairy heifer exports are ending 2019 stronger and are poised to retain that strength into early 2020. However, on-farm management practices that emphasize use of beef semen and culling of low-genomic heifers could impact exports longer term.