In dairy news this week: The USDA added six more states for national HPAI milk testing, the U.S. partners with Indonesia to enhance its dairy sector, and Dairy's Foundation awards education and outreach grants.

In this week's news, the FDA plans to test raw cow’s milk cheese nationwide for HPAI, January FSA interest rates continue to rise, the USDA provides more than $8 million in second round of payments to help organic dairy producers, and Saputo's COO steps down after three months.

The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced the second round of states coming on board as part of its National Milk Testing Strategy (NMTS) that was launched Dec. 6.

In the news as we approach the middle of December, a federal committee upholds dairy dietary guidelines, dairy farmers are invited to apply for financial incentives to implement climate-smart practices, farm income falls $41 billion in two years, and the first HPAI-positive dairy case is found in Nevada.

The USDA issued a new federal order on Friday, Dec. 6, that requires raw (unpasteurized) milk samples nationwide be collected and shared with the USDA to test for the prevalence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1.

In coordination with state health departments in Michigan and Colorado, the CDC tested blood from people who were exposed to dairy cows with H5N1 bird flu infection, also known as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Eight of the 115 people tested (7% of participants) showed evidence of recent H5N1 virus infection.

• Requirement for electronic ID tags now in effect
• Utah becomes 15th state with HPAI in dairy, following mandatory surveillance
• GDT index up 4.8%
• November FSA interest rates continue to low
• Farmer sentiment bounced back in October

Here’s an update on news impacting your dairy as October 2024 comes to an end.