DAIRY MANAGEMENT INC. REPORTED THAT whole milk now accounts for 47% of fluid milk sales in the U.S. thanks to steady gains over the past decade and additional growth in 2024.
U.S. DAIRY EXPORT COUNCIL ANNOUNCED a first-of-its-kind study published in Food Policy found that when complementing local dairy production, U.S. dairy exports to lower and middle-income countries significantly elevate the availability of critical nutrients that help combat poor health outcomes.
A BIPARTISAN BILL WAS INTRODUCED in the U.S. Senate that would require the FDA to manage the ongoing practice of labeling non-dairy products using dairy terms. The bipartisan Defending Against Imitations and Replacements of Yogurt, Milk, and Cheese to Promote Regular Intake of Dairy Everyday (DAIRY PRIDE) Act of 2025 was introduced by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.).
DESPITE THE HOTTEST SUMMER ON RECORD and outbreaks including bluetongue and lumpy skin disease, the European Commission projects that 2025 milk output will be higher than 2024. Additionally, New Zealand production is also on the rise. The 2025 to 2026 season had a strong start with the highest June milk production on record.
DAIRY MARGINS IMPROVED IN JUNE as the milk margin over feed cost reported as a portion of the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program reached $11.10 per hundredweight (cwt.), which was up 70 cents compared to May.
THE NATIONAL MILK PRODUCERS FEDERATION (NMPF) and U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) lauded the Senate confirmation of Luke Lindberg to the position of USDA Under Secretary of Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs. “Lindberg’s experience leading trade missions and managing export initiatives positions him perfectly to create pathways for American dairy to reach global consumers,” said Krysta Harden, president and CEO of USDEC.
U.S. EXPORTS OF CHEESE AND BUTTER CONTINUED TO ROLL, with May cheese exports posting a new monthly record and 2025 butter exports having surpassed 89% of last year’s sales total. “Both exports are boosted by price as U.S. cheese is 40 cents lower per pound than the next best priced major exporter, New Zealand,” stated CoBank’s Abbi Prins. “Likewise, U.S. butter is $1 per pound less than New Zealand.”
WHEN COMPARED TO THE U.S. DOLLAR, the Euro has climbed 12% in value this year, and that has made U.S. dairy product prices more reasonable to customers. “An added sales incentive is that EU cheese is trading nearly $1 per pound higher than U.S. cheese,” said Prins. “The spread between butter is even higher with EU butter fetching nearly $1.50 more per pound.”
