Pitzer and Sons Dairy, Perry
USDA Issues Another $100 Million in MPP Payments, Extends Enrollment
From Anna-Lisa Laca, Dairy Herd Management

While issuing another $100 million in back-payments for the Margin Protection Program, the USDA extended the MPP enrollment deadline to ensure dairy farmers have every opportunity to join if they want to.

On Wednesday, USDA undersecretary Bill Northey's office told Farm Journal's MILK another $100 million in payments have been issued to producers and that they should be seeing them very soon. That brings the total payout for the first half of 2018 to more than $192 million.

There has been some confusion at the local FSA level as to whether or not producers who requested to have their administrative fee waved would be receiving payments during the same time as the rest of those farmers enrolled. According to USDA, those producer payments are in the same pool as the others and the agency is working to get the funds to producers as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced a second extension of the enrollment deadline for the program saying he wants to give producers every opportunity to take advantage of the "new and improved" program.   Read more
Gravy Podcast: The Price of Cheap Milk
By Allison B Salerno, Southern Foodways Alliance

When we pour a glass of milk, most of us don't consider the economics that brought that milk from a cow to our kitchen. Reporter-producer Allison Salerno visited two women, friends and neighbors in southeast Georgia, who both grew up and spent their working lives on dairy farms. One woman watched this spring as auctioneers sold her family's cows and farm equipment. The other dairy woman has changed her business model to stay afloat. Their way of life is rapidly disappearing in Georgia and throughout rural America as milk prices remain low.

Opposition to a proposal to change how milk prices are calculated in two southeastern U.S. FMMOs has surfaced.


One letter of opposition, from John Harrison of Sweetwater Valley Farm of Philadelphia, Tennessee, was also submitted to Progressive Dairyman. (Read:  Letter to the Editor: Multiple component pricing would erode milk production in Southeast.)    Read more 

The U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee approved its 2018 Farm Bill proposal, so far a less contentious version than the House proposal defeated on the House floor in May. For the most part, dairy provisions of the Senate version of the 2018 Farm Bill are similar to those contained in the House version, but there are differences. Those include the premium structure and the flexibility (or lack of flexibility) to make changes in annual coverage selections under a revised and renamed Margin Protection Program for Dairy (MPP-Dairy).  Read more 
LOCAL10 Listens: No more Mayfield milk at Walmart
By Jim Matheny, WBIR

Walmart confirms it will no longer be selling Mayfield milk in most of its stores. The split is part of a larger divorce between Walmart and Dean Foods, the Texas-based owner of Mayfield and several other brands of dairy products. Watch report here 
By: 
, NPR.org


House Republican leaders have avoided the immigration debate because it exposes splits inside the party. Now, just five months ahead of the midterms, they agreed to vote on two proposals, with conservatives and centrists still struggling to get on same page.  Read more
From: John Geuss, Milkprice Blog 


The headlines from the USDEC announced, "Exports were equivalent to 18.8 percent of U.S. milk production, an all time high.  Volume was up 31 percent from April 2017."  That is a tremendous accomplishment.

As stated many times in this blog, the Class III price is the the basis for payment for most dairy producers, and the price of cheese is the driver for the Class III price.  Unfortunately, cheese exports were down from the prior month and cheese imports were up.

It is not unusual for cheese exports to drop in April, so that can be expected.  In fact, the 2018 April drop was less than the prior four years  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.

CoBank's Knowledge Exchange Division has just released its latest research report entitled, "Competition is Reshaping the Milk Business," by Ben Laine. The proliferation of milk alternatives is raising costs for the dairy industry. It is also spurring much needed innovation.

In this video,  CoBank economist Ben Laine discusses the impact of milk alternatives on the dairy industry.   Click here to view research report

In 1993, a focus group headed by Jon Steel, a partner at the San Francisco-based advertising firm Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, asked respondents not to consume milk for a week prior to participating in the study. Steel's aim was to gather information about milk habits that would inform his pitch to a new client, the California Milk Processor Board, which was looking for creative strategies to boost sales.

When the respondents showed up, they were a little anxious about being deprived of the household staple. One man relayed his experience of coming downstairs to the kitchen in the morning before work, pouring out his cereal, slicing bananas on top of it, and then remembering his promise of abstinence. An ethical dilemma arose, the man later admitted to Steel. Would he use milk and simply lie to the rest of focus group? Or would he throw out the cereal? Worse yet, would he eat the cereal without milk?

A conversation snowballed in the room, and it became clear from others' testimonials that consumers felt an emotional connection to an everyday product. The absence of milk became noticeable, like a tear in a perfect canvas. Steel had a hunch he was onto something seismic. That hunch led to one of the most iconic ad campaigns of all time.       Read more 
By Veronica Nigh, American Farm Bureau Federation

When the U.S. announced that from June 1 on, Canada, Mexico and the European Union would no longer be exempt from a new 25 percent tariff on steel and a new 10 percent tariff on aluminum, we knew retaliatory duties were coming. Within a few days of the U.S. announcement, all three trading partners had publicly released a list of U.S. products, many agricultural in nature, that would face additional tariffs. The Canadian and EU taxes go into effect July 1. Mexico's taxes go into effect on July 5.    Read more  
GA Dairy Classifieds

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!!