In dairy-related headlines this week: After declining for 14 years, fluid milk sales end 2024 higher; Rollins confirmed as secretary of agriculture; and HSUS changes its name.

In news affecting a dairy farmer's bottom line as we begin February 2025: The USDA confirms second strain of HPAI found in dairy cattle, the GDT index takes a good leap, farmer sentiment remains optimistic despite trade uncertainty and more.

The U.S. Department of the Interior on March 30 published a proposal that could shift priorities on 245 million acres of public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The rule would likely mark a sizable shift in BLM practices; according to an agency statement, it intends to put “conservation on equal footing with other uses,” which it says is “consistent with the BLM’s multiple use and sustained yield mission.”

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) recognized seven of the nation’s top cattle operations as Environmental Stewardship Award Program (ESAP) regional winners for their environmental conservation efforts during the 2023 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show in New Orleans on Feb. 1.