Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), which manages the national dairy checkoff, has published its 2025 Annual Report, providing farmers and importers with a comprehensive look at strategies, results and financial investments.
The report, available at DairyCheckoff.com, highlights checkoff efforts to grow dairy demand, strengthen consumer trust, expand global opportunities and advance science and innovation on behalf of the dairy farmers and importers who fund the program.
“Dairy farmers and importers make an investment in the checkoff every day. They deserve to understand how those dollars are being used and the results they are helping make possible,” said Marilyn Hershey, a Pennsylvania dairy farmer and chair of DMI. “Transparency and accountability are fundamental to earning and maintaining that trust. Our annual report is one way we can clearly show where we are investing, what we are accomplishing and how the checkoff is working to create opportunities for dairy.”
Partnerships with leading foodservice, retail and dairy companies resulted in more than 30 new dairy-focused product launches during the year and generated 516 million additional milk-equivalent pounds through key partnerships. Partners also continued investing more than $1 billion annually in dairy marketing.
Consumer-focused efforts also produced measurable results. The checkoff’s “We Are Family” e-commerce campaign generated nearly $70 million in additional dairy sales over two years, including a 3.41% sales lift during the 2025 campaign period. The Undeniably Dairy digital platform reached 6.1 million users, while the First 1,000 Days initiative reached 60,000 healthcare professionals with dairy nutrition messaging.
Globally, U.S. dairy exports reached $9.63 billion in 2025, a 15% increase from the previous year and just shy of the record set in 2022. Strategic international partnerships helped generate approximately 1.5 billion additional milk-equivalent pounds of export volume while expanding opportunities for U.S. dairy in established and emerging markets.
Financial information provides farmers and importers with additional visibility into checkoff funding. The 2025 Dairy Checkoff Unified Plan audited financial report stated $264.3 million in program revenues and the same amount in expenditures across reputation, innovation, exports, sustainability, farmer and community relations, strategic intelligence and other areas.
“Our responsibility is not only to put farmer and importer dollars to work strategically, but also to clearly communicate what that investment is delivering,” Hershey said. “This report helps connect those investments to results and demonstrates how the checkoff is working every day to build a stronger future for dairy.”
To learn more about your national dairy checkoff, visit DairyCheckoff.com or to reach us directly, send an email.
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