Farm Bill Extension – Dairy Consumption Increases

Congressional Work Continues on Spending Bill, Farm Bill Extension

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill spent most of this week attempting to reach agreement on another short-term spending bill that will prevent a government shutdown after next Friday. The extension of the 2018 farm bill for another year has impacted the process, as the two parties are wrangling over how to pay for additional support for commodity producers. As of now, lawmakers are examining incorporating emergency economic aid for row crop farmers into a disaster aid package that may also be attached to the short-term spending agreement.

Dairy Consumption Returns to 1950s Levels
Ending this week’s report on a high note, I want to tout this week’s Dairy Defined column reporting on the latest USDA assessment of per capita dairy consumption – which reached a level not seen since the Happy Days of the 1950s. Propelled by record cheese use and gains in butter, cottage cheese and yogurt, U.S. per capita dairy consumption returned to 1950s levels last year, according to USDA data released just before Thanksgiving. At 661 pounds per person, the amount of milk products Americans consume is back to where it was in 2021 – and that was the highest level in several generations. That’s a number worth celebrating this Christmas season!