May-July U.S. agriculture trade deficit is likely the largest in history.

Private-lender interest rates on agricultural loans are moving higher and so are rates on loans through the USDA’s Farm Service Agency.

Milk checks for August production will reflect stronger protein and Class III milk prices and the highest Class IV milk price since January. A narrower price spread between Class III-IV milk prices could start to bring more Class IV milk to FMMO pools.

The next meeting of the Federal Reserve Board’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) is scheduled for Sept. 19-20.

Here’s an update on risk management tools available through the USDA and/or USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA), as well as other information impacting your milk check.

High summer culling rates are helping kick off better milk prices this fall.

On Aug. 23, 2023, Dana Coale, deputy administrator of the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Dairy Program, and presiding Judge Channing D. Strother, USDA chief administrative law judge, welcomed industry representatives, USDA staff and other attendees to the first day of the National Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) Pricing Formula Hearing and provided an overview of the hearing process.