Headlines highlight mounting challenges as net farm income declines. Land O’Lakes CEO Beth Ford warned in a Time op-ed recently, “A Storm is Gathering for American Agriculture.”
That’s the focus of the Dairy Hot Topics session, hosted by the American Dairy Coalition (ADC) during World Dairy Expo on Thursday, Oct. 2. This grassroots program is open to dairy farmers, industry leaders, media, and other Expo attendees who want to get up-to-date on the issues facing dairy farmers.
Networking and light refreshments begin at 2:00 p.m. CDT, in Wingra Room on the second floor of the Exhibition Hall. The session runs from 2:30 to 4 p.m., and will lead off with updates from American Dairy Coalition on several fronts, followed by featured speaker American Farm Bureau Economist Danny Munch, who specializes in dairy markets, transportation, and infrastructure. Other special guest(s) will be announced.
From milk check transparency, federal milk pricing impacts, and the final FMMO update coming in December, to Ag workforce policies, emerging animal health challenges amid a nationwide shortage of rural veterinarians, and the MAHA Commission reset shaping Dietary Guidelines, FDA dairy labeling, and the future of whole milk in schools — this program covers the policy and market issues that matter for dairy farmers now and into the future.
In June, new and larger embedded make allowance deductions, not seen as line items on milk checks, grew by 25 to 30%, cutting class and component baseline prices by 55 to 91 cents per hundredweight — overnight. Dairy commodity markets have also declined, with Class III milk futures dropping into the $17s and Class IV October dipping into the $16s.
While processors now receive larger manufacturing credits (make allowances), farmers report no relief in deductions and re-blends on their milk checks.
Add in the shifting Ag workforce and immigration policies, rising input costs, and emerging animal health threats like HPAI and New World Screwworm — the stakes are even higher.
This program will also highlight positive developments, including the December implementation of the final phase of FMMO reform and upcoming changes to rules that govern dairy labeling, whole milk in schools, and the recent FDA ‘healthy claims’ front-of-package rule now being revisited.
Don’t miss this chance to hear timely updates, ask questions, and join this important conversation at World Dairy Expo. Scan the QR above to RSVP or register at https://qrco.de/DairyHotTopics
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