In the news as we approach the middle of December:
- Federal committee upholds dairy dietary guidelines
- Dairy farmers invited to apply for $7 million incentive pool to implement climate-smart practices
- Munch: Farm income falls $41 billion in two years
- First HPAI-positive dairy case found in Nevada
Federal committee upholds dairy dietary guidelines
To inform the development of the 2025-30 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs), the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) issued a scientific report to the U.S. departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA).
In the report, the DGAC advised the HHS and the USDA to continue to recommend that Americans consume three servings of dairy per day and that dairy products stay a distinct food group in recognition of their unmatched health and nutrition benefits.
Comprised of 20 leading dietitians, physicians and public health experts, the federal DGAC evaluates the latest findings and overall bodies of evidence in nutrition science.
“The U.S. dairy industry is pleased to see that the science has once again affirmed the unmatched health and nutrition benefits that dairy products provide to people of all ages,” said Roberta Wagner, senior vice president of regulatory and scientific affairs at the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA).
The report confirmed lactose-free dairy as an integral part of the dairy group, and highlighted the association between total and higher-fat milk with favorable growth outcomes, including lower risk of obesity, in younger children.
Gregg Doud, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), noted, “The review also made clear that expanding the food group to include additional plant-based alternative beverages outside of fortified soy is not supported by scientific evidence.”
However, Doud said he is disappointed the committee only recommends consumption of unflavored milk, although it did acknowledge flavored milk contains beneficial nutrients and did not conclude a connection between flavored milk and obesity risk.
NMPF and IDFA are encouraging the agencies to look to more recent science that supports the benefits of whole milk in the diet.
“Unfortunately, the DGAC excluded a number of scientific studies which show the health benefits of dairy at each fat level,” Wagner said. “There is robust evidence to support the federal government disposing of its outdated recommendation to limit dairy consumption based on fat level. The latest science shows that full-fat dairy products do not increase risk of cardiovascular disease or weight gain, and that they may in fact have positive health benefits.”
Both dairy groups will continue to advocate for consideration of full-fat dairy in the final dietary guidelines expected to be released in 2025.
Dairy farmers invited to apply for $7 million incentive pool to implement climate-smart practices
Dairy farmers across 15 states can apply for considerable financial support to adopt climate-smart manure management practices through a new initiative aimed at enhancing soil health, increasing herd productivity and minimizing environmental impact. That’s according to Transforming the Farmer to Consumer Supply Chain project leaders.
The Dairy Manure Management Incentive Program, part of the USDA-backed $70 million Transforming the Farmer to Consumer Supply Chain (Transform F2C) project, provides competitive funding to help farmers integrate sustainable manure and nutrient management methods that suit their unique operations' needs.
This program offers implementation support for practices such as waste storage, waste separation, composting and nutrient management. Farmers can receive up to $1 million per farm entity.
Priority access will be given to small-scale and historically underserved farmers, helping more producers participate in climate-resilient practices.
Applications opened Dec. 2, and the deadline to apply is Jan. 30.
Dairy farmers in California, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin who meet Farm Service Agency (FSA) requirements are eligible to apply.
Funding is awarded based on the environmental impact of practice adoption, assessed in metric tons of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) reduction. Selected farmers may receive up to 100% of the proposed project budget.
The Dairy Manure Management Incentive Program simplifies the enrollment process with a six-step guide, from confirming eligibility to submitting an online application, making it easier for farmers to obtain competitive funding that supports sustainability on their farms. Visit the program's website for details.
Munch: Farm income falls $41 billion in two years
In reviewing the USDA’s December 2024 farm income forecast, American Farm Bureau Federation economist Daniel Munch said it confirms just how tough a year it’s been for American agriculture.
Net farm income is now projected at $140.7 billion for 2024, down $6 billion (4.1%) from 2023 and $41.2 billion (22.6%) from the $181.9 billion peak in 2022.
“While these updated figures show a marginal improvement over September’s forecast, which projected a 4.4 percent decline for 2024 to 140 billion dollars, the December revision does little to alleviate concerns about the financial pressures farmers face heading into 2025, and the overall figure masks the dramatic decline in returns for crop farmers,” Munch said.
Total crop receipts for 2024 are now projected to decline by $25 billion (9.2%) from 2023 to $246.2 billion. Livestock producers are faring comparatively better, with total receipts for animal and animal products expected to grow by $21 billion (8.4%) to $270.6 billion in 2024. In particular, milk receipts are expected to grow by $5.3 billion (11.5%), outpacing the 9.4% increase forecast in September.
First HPAI-positive dairy case found in Nevada
The Nevada Department of Agriculture reported evidence of a detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 in dairy cattle in one herd. The affected premises has been quarantined and mandatory testing will occur onsite at regular intervals until the herd is confirmed to be virus-free. It was later confirmed by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) National Veterinary Services Laboratories.
Nevada is the 16th state to find the disease since the outbreak was first identified in dairy cattle in March. To date, there have been 832 confirmed cases nationwide, with 74% in California alone. In the past 30 days, California has recorded 339 new confirmed cases of HPAI in dairy cows.
In an effort to monitor trends and help contain any potential spread of the HPAI virus, the USDA issued a new federal order to begin collecting and testing milk samples nationwide. It is set to begin next week in six states.
