U.S. milk production posted a more modest 1.3 percent year-over-year increase in March, but the subplot in the story was the USDA’s reduction in cow numbers and milk production retroactively to the start of the year.

Editor’s note: On April 18, the House Agriculture Committee approved the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (aka the House version of the 2018 Farm Bill) on a straight party line vote. Twenty-six Republican ag committee members voted for the bill, with 20 Democrats voting against the proposal. It’s anything but a done deal, but the House version of the 2018 Farm Bill outlines congressional efforts to address federal programs affecting the dairy industry.

With a large dose of genetics and breeding strategy articles in this issue of Progressive Dairyman, we turned to our editorial advisory panel to get their insights on those topics.

U.S. milk quality – measured in terms of somatic cell counts (SCC) – improved in 2017, according to the annual summary of Dairy Herd Improvement (DHI) test-day results.

The FDA annual analysis shows dairy consumers remain safe when it comes to animal drug residues in milk.

Digest Highlights: Whole milk sales limit February fluid decline. Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board changed its name. Leprino and Agropur announce expansion plans. Find a summary of this and other news here.

Emerging markets show promise for increased exports of U.S. dairy replacements later this year.

The USDA’s April Livestock, Dairy and Poultry report left 2018 milk production projections unchanged, at 219 billion pounds. If realized, it would be up 1.6 percent from 2017. The USDA’s March 2018 Milk Production report will be released April 20.

Northwest U.S. alfalfa and timothy producers will remain slightly profitable over the next 12 months, according to the latest Northwest Farm Credit Services’ Hay Market Snapshot report. Exports should boost alfalfa sales, while low dairy profitability will provide demand headwinds.

Fourteen dairy cooperatives and several dairy trade associations filed a formal request seeking a public hearing to consider implementing multiple component pricing (MCP) in two additional Federal Milk Marketing Orders.