In my last column for Progressive Dairyman, I discussed how lower SCC limits are being put in place by processors and how the system of premiums for quality milk is potentially going to be replaced by an expectation of quality milk.

The milk quality premium has long been the standard in the U.S. dairy system. Producers are rewarded for producing milk with lower somatic cell counts with dollars that are over and above the flat price per hundredweight (cwt). This system has been around for a long time for good reason: It works.

Taking a world view of your operation’s production of quality milk is a critical factor in sustaining long-term profits. Think globally and you’ll have a better chance at sustained profits in a business environment where it’s never easy to predict just how, when and why new challenges – and new opportunities – may come.