After spiking in 2014 thanks to record-high milk prices, the U.S. farmers’ share of every dairy dollar spent at retail declined in 2015, according to annual data compiled by USDA.

USDA’s July World Ag Supply & Demand Estimates (WASDE) report cut the 2016 U.S. milk production estimate, helping boost the annual price outlook by about $0.50 to $0.65 per hundredweight compared to a month ago.

U.S. dairy export volume posted an 11-month high in May (on a daily average basis), according to Alan Levitt, with the U.S. Dairy Export Council. The strong showing was led by improved sales of whey, lactose and whole milk powder (WMP).

The road to the milk pricing transparency provided by Pennsylvania House Bill 1265 has been a lonely one for the state’s dairy farmers. Many of the farm groups and organizations, which supposedly exist to serve and represent the interests of farmers, have chosen to remain silent and not take a position. Some groups, such as PennAg Industries Association, have even taken the official position of opposing this bill.

Editor’s note: This article is the fourth in a series profiling sources for an in-depth feature about the Chinese dairy industry, appearing in print later this summer. Dr. Robert Collier is a professor and former chairman of the department of animal sciences at the University of Arizona. A former scientist with Monsanto, Collier has also served as the Donald Barron Visiting Professor at the University of Florida.

The second weekend in June, I spent about four hours talking to consumers at a local Dairy Days event with Midwest Dairy. The goal was to share information about dairy farming and dairy products with consumers in our community. Our booth was frequented by mostly parents with young children.

The Senate approved a bill establishing a national labeling system for foods produced with technology. With 2017 enrollment underway, the National Milk Producers Federation introduced new Margin Protection Program for Dairy decision tools. The Animal Agriculture Alliance identified industry improvements related to animal care and antibiotic use. This and other U.S. dairy policy news can be found here.

This month’s VAS DC305 tip is a module that estimates the value of each cow in the herd relative to an average fresh heifer.

This Dairy Regional Recap updates a New York farm labor lawsuit, an Indiana bovine tuberculosis investigation, Arizona’s changing milk marketing landscape and a plant-based argument in an Idaho "ag-gag" lawsuit. This and other U.S. region-by-region dairy news can be found here.

With U.S. milk processing capacity stretched to its limit in many parts of the country, producers of milk powder are bringing significant new capacity online with an eye toward the future, according to a new research report from CoBank.