Digest highlights

• USDA announces second round of PMVAP payments
• $100 million Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program announced
• WOTUS lawsuit filed
• IDFA adds economist, policy support
• USDA updates organic enforcement rule
• 2025-30 Dietary Guideline Advisory Committee named
• USDA seeks comment on proposed animal disease traceability regulations
• Animal welfare group wants increased regulation of ‘custom-exempt’ slaughter operations
• Other news, briefly

While most of NMPF recommendations were approved last October, a specific recommendation related to Class I pricing differentials has taken longer to develop.

Just 424 out of nearly 3.7 million milk samples tested positive for animal drug residues in the FDA’s annual analysis. Those samples testing positive were rejected for human consumption. That works out to be only one out of every 8,702 samples.

The number of milk cows on U.S. farms was estimated at 9.42 million head in November, the highest number since August 2021.

Class IV pooling across all FMMOs represented about 7% of the total milk pooled. It was the ninth month so far in 2022 that Class IV pooling was below 10% of total milk pooled.

The USDA’s December World Ag Supply and Demand Estimates and Crop Production reports provide production and price forecasts.

The USDA’s Farm Service Agency has extended the 2023 Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) enrollment and coverage election period until Jan. 31, 2023. The program deadline was originally scheduled to close on Dec. 9, 2022.

Digest highlights

• Petition seeks higher transportation credits in southeastern U.S. FMMOs
• USDA publishes ‘cattle contracts library’ rule
• Other news, briefly

The number of milk cows on U.S. farms was estimated at 9.42 million head in October, 31,000 head more than October 2021 and 1,000 head more than September 2022.