A small milk price increase combined with mostly steady feed prices to boost the September 2016 U.S. average milk-income margin. The increase reduces the likelihood there will be any Margin Protection Program for Dairy (MPP-Dairy) indemnity payments for the September-October pay period.

Consumers are bombarded with food company marketing messages and negative information campaigns from activists. Through all the noise, consumers make food-buying decisions that impact family farm economics, on-farm production practices and the availability of proven technologies.

The USDA’s next crop production report will be released Nov. 9, a day after the presidential election. Here’s a snapshot of issues impacting hay producers as the ballots are counted.

Farmers may be at the start of the supply chain, but they’re frequently squeezed in the middle when it comes to production and label claim demands from activists, consumers and food companies.

This summer’s modest dairy price recovery had many believing global dairy markets had pulled out of a tailspin. After stalling this fall, a brighter outlook is again surfacing among dairy economists, but milk producers should use available risk management tools to protect against another downturn, according to Alan Zepp, risk management program manager at Pennsylvania's Center for Dairy Excellence (CDE).

The Farmers Union says U.S. dairy farm profits averaged about 3 cents per gallon between 2009-14. October margins started flat, but August fluid sales improved. Find those articles and other dairy economic news updates here.

Global milk production may be starting to show signs of declining, but such is not the case in the U.S., according to USDA’s monthly milk production report released Oct. 20.

Several major U.S. agricultural organizations came to the defense of using genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food production, criticizing a leading yogurt maker for seeking to build and market a GMO-free dairy supply chain. The organizations contend a strategy to eliminate GMOs is a move away from sustainability and will result in long-term negative environmental impacts.

Despite overall declines in drug residues found in bulk milk samples, marketing and regulatory efforts continue to apply pressure to reduce antimicrobial use in livestock, including dairy herds.

With three major foreign markets setting highs for the year, August 2016 U.S. alfalfa hay exports volume grew to a new high, according to USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service monthly data.