World Dairy Expo Virtual Farm Tours have brought some of the best dairy operations from near and far to Madison for over 20 years. The four dairies to be featured during WDE 2022 continue that tradition while showcasing environmental stewardship, quality genetics, technology advancements, community involvement and more. During Expo’s Virtual Farm Tours, dairy owners and managers share a visual presentation with time for questions and an open discussion afterward. Tours are presented daily in Mendota Room 1 of the Exhibition Hall at 10:00 a.m.

The 2022 World Dairy Expo Virtual Farm Tour schedule can be enjoyed in person at WDE or online through ExpoTV at www.worlddairyexpo.com.

Our guest today is Joe Arens, retired dairy producer from Central Michigan and member of the National Dairy Producers Organization joined us on today’s Dairy Radio Now:

The Agriculture Department announced the May Federal order Class I base milk price at another new record high, $25.45 per hundredweight, up $1.07 from April and $8.35 above May 2021. The five month average stands at $22.81, up from $15.70 a year ago, and $16.72 in 2020.

Milk output down 0.5%

U.S. milk production lagged year ago levels for the fifth consecutive month in March however that trend may soon end. The Agriculture Department’s latest preliminary data shows March output at 19.7 billion pounds, down 0.5% from Mar. 2021, and follows the revised 0.9% drop in February. March output in the top 24 producing states totaled 18.8 billion pounds, down 0.4%.

Revisions raised the original 50-State February estimate by 18 million pounds to 17.53 billion, 0.9% below a year ago, instead of the 1.0% reported.

Milk output for First Quarter totaled 56.3 billion pounds, down 1.0% from the same period in 2021. Cow numbers totaled 9.38 million head, unchanged from the October to December quarter, but 85,000 below a year ago.

Farmers are adding cows back. March numbers totaled 9.395 million head, up 15,000 from February, but were still down 87,000 from a year ago. The February count was revised up 10,000 head.

March output per cow averaged 2,096 pounds, up 8 pounds or 0.4% from 2021.

California production totaled 3.7 billion pounds, up 19 million pounds or 0.5% from a year ago, thanks a thousand additional cows outweighing a 10 pound loss per cow. Wisconsin output totaled 2.7 billion pounds, up 6 million or 0.2%. Cow numbers were up 3,000 and output per cow was unchanged from a year ago.

Idaho was unchanged in cow numbers, output per cow, and total production. Michigan was down 2.9% on 15,000 fewer cows, though output per cow was up 10 pounds. Minnesota was down 2.6% on a 15 pound drop per cow and 9,000 fewer cows. New Mexico was down 9.3% on 37,000 fewer cows. Output per cow was up 45 pounds.

New York was off down 1.0% on 6,000 fewer cows though output per cow was unchanged. Oregon was up 1.3% on a 10 pound drop per cow and 1,000 more cows. Pennsylvania was down 2.2%, on 8,000 fewer cows and a 10 pound drop per cow. South Dakota cows put 20% more milk in the tank, thanks to 30,000 more cows being milk and offsetting a 10 pound drop per cow. Texas output, while still a long ways from Number 2 Wisconsin, was up 6.7%, on 22,000 more cows and a 65 pound gain per cow.

Vermont was off 0.9% on a 15 pound drop per cow but cow numbers were unchanged. Washington State was down 4.0% on a loss of 145,000 cows, though output per cow was up 25 pounds.

There was a fund raiser for PA State Senator John Lawrence Monday in Lancaster County.  Senator Lawrence is a sponsor in the PA Senate for the bill to allow PA whole milk in schools.  Congressman GT Thompson, Ranking Member of the House Ag Committee was there and John Clark interviewed him.

The current bill has made it through the PA House and is working its way to the PA Senate.  Hopes are high that the Governor will sign it, in time for the kids to get PA Preferred whole milk for the start of the 2022 – 2023 school year.

Farm milk prices keep heading higher, but they need to. The Agriculture Department announced the March Federal order Class III benchmark price at $22.45 per hundredweight, up $1.54 from February, $6.30 above March 2021, and the highest Class III since Nov. 2020. The three month average stands at $21.25, up from $15.98 at this time a year ago and $16.77 in 2020.

The March Class IV price is a record high $24.82, up 82 cents from February, the previous high, and $10.64 above a year ago. The three month average is at $23.97, up from $13.71 a year ago and $15.91 in 2020. Courtesy of the Mielke Market Weekly.

John Clark talks with Jason Lloyd, VP of the NY Holstein Assn:

Gary Genske with Genske Mulder & Company, certified public accountants, joined us on today’s Dairy Radio to share concerns about future feed prices:

Through five program silos, FARM works with dairy producers, cooperatives, processors and industry partners to demonstrate the highest standards on U.S. dairy farms. we learn more on today’s Dairy Radio:

Presented by Cornell CALS PRO-DAIRY and Northeast Dairy Producers Association NEDPA, the Northeast Dairy Management Conference is a designed for all progressive dairy farmers and industry professionals in the Northeast. NEDPA executive director Tonya Van Slyke joined us on today’s Dairy Radio Now:

The idea of 97 percent fat free Milk was created by a dairy farmer in Pennsylvania and has grown to other states as we hear in today’s Dairy Radio Now:

Marilyn Hershey, dairy farmer and Chair at Dairy Management Inc. was recently interviewed at the Pennsylvania Dairy Summit:

The Agriculture Department announced the first Class III benchmark milk price of 2022 at $20.38 per hundredweight for January, up $2.02 from December, $4.34 above January 2021, and the highest Class III price since November 2020.

The January Class IV price is $23.09 per cwt., up $3.21 from December, $9.34 above a year ago, and the highest Class IV price since August 2014. Courtesy of the Mielke Market Weekly

Kathleen Wolfley, a broker/agent with Ever.ag, joins us on today’s Dairy Radio to discuss another safety net option for dairy producers, the Dairy Revenue Protection insurance program (DRP). She shares how producers currently have some great opportunities to protect their downside risk at historically high prices.

Dairy prices for 2022 are projected at an eight-year high, with supply adjustments and booming exports across a wide range of products shoring up farmer balance sheets that have struggled with volatility during the pandemic era, NMPF Chief Economist Peter Vitaliano says in an NMPF podcast released earlier this week.