The number of milk cows on U.S. farms was estimated at 9.4 million head in December, the smallest number since February.

Digest highlights

• USDA announces second round of PMVAP payments
• $100 million Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program announced
• WOTUS lawsuit filed
• IDFA adds economist, policy support
• USDA updates organic enforcement rule
• 2025-30 Dietary Guideline Advisory Committee named
• USDA seeks comment on proposed animal disease traceability regulations
• Animal welfare group wants increased regulation of ‘custom-exempt’ slaughter operations
• Other news, briefly

Update highlights

• February 2023 Class I base price on the move again
• December cull dairy cow marketing higher
• Inflation hit dairy aisle in 2022
• November fluid sales stayed on trend
• GDT index dipped
• Coming up

While most of NMPF recommendations were approved last October, a specific recommendation related to Class I pricing differentials has taken longer to develop.

The end of January brings the enrollment deadline for the 2023 Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program and milk production data to settle fourth-quarter 2022 Dairy Revenue Protection (Dairy-RP) policies.

Class IV pooling across all FMMOs represented about 8% of the total milk pooled. It was the 10th month in 2022 that Class IV pooling was below 10% of total milk pooled.

The USDA’s January World Ag Supply and Demand Estimates and Crop Production reports provide production and price forecasts.

• SMI closes RO balancing plant
• California overtime pay required
• Lower annual average fuel prices forecast
• FDA to continue infant formula enforcement discretion
• Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative unveils policy priorities
• Coming up: December FMMO recap
• Other news, briefly

Dairy heifer and hay export volumes were weaker in November.