In your January 25, 2019 issue
THE FUTURES MARKET POINTS TO A REBOUND in milk prices. With a $14.40 average, January to March Class III contracts continued to trade at low levels. CME contracts for April to June averaged $15.70, while July to December 2019 Class III contracts averaged $16.50. Those second-half-of-the-year contracts were $2.10 above the start of 2019.
THE RATE OF GROWTH IN MILK PRODUCTION among the major exporters — New Zealand, the EU, the U.S., Argentina, and Australia — is forecasted to slow in 2019 to a rate of 1 percent. The EU and U.S. could be above the world trend, projected USDA economists.
FARMERS HAVE BEEN IMPACTED by the partial government shutdown dating back to December 22. With local Farm Service Agency offices closed, government support checks have not been mailed, which affects the ability for some farmers to buy crop inputs for spring planting.
USDA SECRETARY PERDUE said the government would extend the application deadline beyond the January 15 deadline due to the shutdown.
EVEN SO, SENATOR STABENOW (D-Mich.) has growing concerns that dairy farmers will be unable to take advantage of the new support via the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program passed in the 2018 Farm Bill. Also, crop reports are not available to assist with planting decisions.
DUE TO LOW AGRICULTURAL INCOME LEVELS, 53 percent of bankers have boosted the collateral requirements for farm loans, revealed the latest Rural Mainstreet Index conducted by Creighton University.
FINANCIALLY, RED INK FLOWED for dairy herds in California’s southern portion and its San Joaquin Valley, Arizona, Idaho, New Mexico, and the Texas Panhandle. Losses ranged from 8 cents in the San Joaquin Valley to $2.72 per cwt. in Arizona for the first half of 2018.
ONLY CALIFORNIA’S KERN COUNTY and the Pacific Northwest had positive cash flows of 43 and 16 cents per cwt., respectively, among dairy farm clients for the certified public accountants of Frazer LLP.
A FEW MICHIGAN DAIRIES MADE MONEY during the first nine months of last year among herds tracked by Nietzke & Faupel. Its top 30 percent earned 76 cents per cwt.; overall, clients lost 66 cents per cwt.
A RECORD LOW 0.01 PERCENT of pickup tanker milk loads tested positive for antibiotics — 364 out of 3.6 million samples under the FDA testing plan dating back to 1991. In those rare instances when a positive test occurred, milk was discarded and did not enter the food chain.
DAIRY STANDS SECOND, only to almonds, for agricultural exports from California. In 2017, dairy exports were $1.6 billion compared to $4.5 billion for almonds. Pistachios, wine, and walnuts ranked third to fifth.
In your next issue!
These Round Table participants do more than just fill the milk tank; they excel at fat and protein production at the same time.
Farm staff can handle many health challenges, but prolapsed uteruses remain a job for veterinarians.
Sixty-five percent of consumers would like to know more about farming and food. After asking family members and doctors, farmers rank third among trusted people.
