The latest Zisk report projects profitability on dairy farms for 2025. It shows that U.S. dairy producers are expecting a profitable next 12 months, but as with previous reports, the picture isn’t equally as rosy for all producers.

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.

• 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

The USDA’s World Ag Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report offers forecasts for dairy, beef and feedstuffs.

If used for the right purposes and managed well, debt can be a great tool for increasing profits. However, tools can be misused. Just like using pliers to pound in a nail usually doesn’t work so well, debt can be a double-edged sword that is a drag on profitability.