Which Dairy State Was The Most Profitable In 2017?
(Hint: the answer is will shock you!!)

In their annual milk cost of production report, USDA outlined which states were the most profitable in 2017. Spoiler alert: Georgia won.
 
According to USDA, Georgia had a $9.22 per cwt margin. The state's gross value of products sold came in at $25.95 per cwt and their cost of production was $16.73 per cwt.
 
(To arrive at this cost of production number we used the total operating cost and costs of hired labor as defined by USDA. To see the total costs USDA accounts for in the report including opportunity cost of unpaid labor and capital recovery costs on machinery and equipment, you can view the  full report here.)
 
Idaho, which was the most profitable in 2016, followed closely behind with a margin of $6.12 per cwt.
 
Of the 23 states included in the report, eight of them had negative margins for the year. Maine was the least profitable with gross sales totaling $23.13 per cwt and costs adding up to $27.61 per cwt, leading to a negative margin of $4.48 per cwt. Several major dairy states also reported negative margins including California, Michigan, New York and Pennsylvania.   Read more
It's time to respond to the rise of dairy-free
From Dairy Foods

The dairy industry could study the
success of dairy alternatives and apply those lessons to dairy, according to a new Rabobank report.

Dairy alternatives are on the rise as consumers are increasingly going dairy-free, particularly when it comes to fluid milk used on things such as cereal or in coffees. More recently, biotechnology has entered the arena, brewing milk proteins through biofermentation, according to Utrecht, Netherlands-based Rabobank. 

The time is right for the dairy sector to reflect on the success of alternative dairy products and to consider applying those lessons to dairy, Rabobank noted in its recent RaboResearch dairy report, "Dare not to dairy - What the rise of dairy-free means for dairy ... and how the industry can respond."  Read more
Fluid Milk Consumption Crashes
From MilkPrice Blog

Drinking milk was originally the primary use for cow's milk.  That time has passed.  Cheese production is now the primary use of cow's milk in the U.S.  The long-term growth of domestic cheese consumption was covered in the March 31 post to this blog.  The current growth rate of domestic cheese consumption is about 2% annually.  This post will cover the growth rate of fluid milk consumption based on the most recent 2017 data.

Chart I shows the total volume of fluid milk consumed in the U.S.  For many years, the decline in per capita consumption was offset with population growth keeping the total fluid milk consumption relatively stable.  However, population growth has slowed, and the per capita consumption of fluid milk has dropped.  The growth rate is now negative.  Read more 
ICYMI: May Edition of the GA Milk Review  

T his issue includes stories on:
- Farm Bill Fails to Pass House
- Op-Ed from Executive Director
- Dean to Close More Plants
- SE Dairy Farmers Hear from USDA Deputy      
  Administrator
- Hearing Requested for Multiple Component Pricing 
  in SE
- Dixie Dairy Report
 

From Progressive Dairyman Editor Dave Natzke


The USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) will begin processing Margin Protection Program for Dairy (MPP-Dairy) checks for participating dairy farmers on June 4, according to  a notice sent to state and county FSA offices on May 31.
MPP-Dairy payments are triggered when the margin between the national all-milk price and the national average feed cost falls below the margin trigger selected by the dairy famer during the MPP-Dairy enrollment period that closes June 1.  Read more
Southeast, Appalachia Milk Prices Down More Than $1/cwt From Last Year
By  Andrew P. Griffith, University Of Tennessee

Milk Production: Milk production in the 23 major states during April totaled 17.3 billion pounds, up 0.7% from April 2017. Production per cow for April averaged 1,982 pounds. The number of milk cows was 8.74 million head, down 2,000 head from March 2018. March production was revised down 0.1% to 17.8 billion pounds. For milk production in the top 5 producing states, California was up 0.4% from April a year ago; Wisconsin down 0.6%; Idaho up 3.5%; New York down 2.4%; and Texas up 7.0%. Other states with large production increases were Colorado (9.9%), Utah (5.5%), Kansas (5.1%), and Washington (3.1%). The states reporting a large decline in production compared to April 2017 were Virginia (-3.9%) and Vermont (-3.0%).

Milk Price and Utilization: The Southeast Uniform milk price for April was $16.88, up $0.58 from March and $1.09 lower than April 2017. The Appalachian Uniform milk price was $16.56, up $0.54 from March and $1.21 lower than April 2017. April's Class III price was $14.47, up $0.25 from March, and $0.75 lower than April a year ago. The Class IV price was up $0.44 from March to $13.48, and $0.53 lower than April 2017. The Class I Mover price for June is $15.25, up $0.81 from April. The milk/feed ratio for April was 1.90, 0.07 lower than March.

Southeast Class I utilization was 65.02%, up 0.28% from March, and 0.45.059% higher than April a year ago. The Uniform butterfat price was $2.4944, up 8.63 cents from last month and 9.52 cents higher than April 2017. The April Class I price was $17.90. May Class I price is $18.24. Appalachian Class I utilization was 65.80%, down 1.01% from March, and 2.74% lower than April a year ago. The Uniform butterfat price was $2.4957, up 8.73 cents from last month and 9.36 cents lower than April 2017. The April Class I price was $17.50.     Read more 
It's June Dairy Month! Let's Share How Great GA's Dairy Industry Is!


Georgia Milk Producers updated our Georgia Dairy Facts page just in time for  June Dairy Month.  Click here to download and share online or during farm tours!!  Let's celebrate our dairy industry.
The rain keeps coming

It has been a rainy start to summer in Georgia . . . but farmers are thankful for the moisture.

School is finished, it's getting hot and humid outside, and summertime fun time is here in Georgia . . . well, almost. About three weeks ago, kids were getting ready to get out of school, weather was becoming hot and sunny, and the summertime itch was hitting everyone. I have to say, that itch is still grasping to get a hold of most people around here.

Lord knows we love the rain, and we are grateful, thankful, blessed, and every good word that I can possibly come up with . . . but when I tell you it feels like it has rained like it did with Forrest Gump in Vietnam for the last month, I mean it! We have seen hard rain, soft rain, flooding rain, sideways rain, and yes, at times when you are knee high in water, rain that comes from underneath.    Read more 
New Zealand to Kill 150,000 Cows to End Bacterial Disease
From: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

New Zealand plans to slaughter about 150,000 cows as it tries to eradicate a strain of disease-causing bacteria from the national herd.

Politicians and industry leaders announced the ambitious plan on Monday. They say it will cost hundreds of millions of dollars, and, if successful, would be the first time an infected country has eliminated Mycoplasma bovis.

Farming is vital to the economy in New Zealand, whose isolation has helped protect it from some diseases which affect herds elsewhere.     Read more
Mark Your Calendars:

GA Dairy Classifieds

SEEKING FIELD SERVICE TECHNICAN: Southeast DHIA has a position to fill in the NE Georgia area for a FIELD SERVICE TECHNICIAN. Responsibilities include data collection on area dairy farms during milking time. The schedule is somewhat flexible but the hours are non-typical. Some travel and out-of-town work possible Applicants should be comfortable with computers and software and have good communication and organizational skills as well as reliable transportation. If interested send a resume to   brian.winters@dhicoop.com

For Sale: 
WW Livestock Systems Hydraulic Head shoot, never used, excellent condition, kept  under roof.  Listed for $23,041 asking $15,000 or reasonable offer.  Call M
aggie 352-507- 
2042 or email:  hartagriculture@outlook.com
 
For Sale: 40 high quality Holstein heifers bred to calf this summer and fall. Start calving in July, 40 yrs AI breeding 24,000 herd average. Ray Ward 706-473-8789.

For Sale: Custom manure application and Dryhill manure equipment sales. 
Contact Edwin @ 478-299-0717 with Agboys Custom Services LLC  - 
New 8"x52' lagoon pump with outriggers $24,000 (Pictured right)

For Sale 3000 gallon Surge/Westfalia milk tank and wash system. Three phase condensers. 2002 model. Excellent condition. John B Gay, 478-494-5107

WANTED: DeLaval Westfalia
 Neck Transponders:  TN Dairy seeking used Westfalia neck band transponders. 
Please contact Bill or Peggy Howell if interested at 423-972-9254 or 423-371-3032.

WANTED: Looking for used pasteurizing and bottling equipment in working condition; Linda and Darrell Rankins, Jr.; 334-745-2357 (best times: mid-day and after 8 p.m.)

For Sale: 
Jersey cows, heifers and calves for sale.  Registered with AJCA, all ages! Contact Matt Holton at 770-718-8271, call or text.  Dawsonville, GA.

FOR HIRE:  Custom Silage Harvesting.  Late model JD chopper. Will travel. Let me put your quality forage up! Nic Haynes, Muddy H Farms, 678-617-3379.

FOR SALE: 
We have a continuous selection of fresh and springing heifers.
 
Call William at  (706) 768-2857 or visit our website at 
 

Bullcalves Wanted : Looking for Bullcalves to purchase - Barron Tench 864-844-2295 or  barron.tench@gmail.com     
AGAware Workshops Scheduled for Summer
  
AgGeorgia and AgSouth are pleased to announce the dates and locations locked down for another round of AGAware workshops. Van McCall will present an exciting and fun-filled, educational workshop on farm finance.  The classes are from  9 am until 4 pm with lunch provided and there is no charge to attend. The workshops are certified for FSA borrower credits as well.
 
Click here for more information . This is a hands-on workshop with actual projects conducted during the training. 

GA Milk Producers|706.310.0020 |  gamilkproducers@gmail.com | 
www.gamilk.org

Georgia Milk Producers has been named a 2017 All Star Award winner by Constant Contact , an  Endurance International Group  company and a leader in email marketing solutions. The annual award recognizes the most successful 10 percent of Constant Contact's customer base, based on their significant achievements using email marketing to engage their customer base and drive results for their organization during the prior year.  GA Milk utilizes the Constant Contact marketing service each Friday with their GA Milk Weekly Enews and has received this award for the last three years. Thank you to our many subscribers!!