InFocus - Articles

Cheese and butter consumption hits all-time high in 2023

USDA data show American dairy per capita consumption across products consistently increasing each year, with 2023 up 3% over the past five years, 9% over the past 15 years and 16% over the past 30 years.

December 3, 2024

Audrey Schmitz

In the past decade alone, domestic per-capita consumption of cheese is up 19% and per-capita butter consumption is up 18.1%.

InFocus: Cheese consumption hits all-time high in 2022

USDA data shows American dairy per-capita consumption across products consistently increasing each year, with 2022 up 0.4% over the past five years, 7.5% over the past 15 years and 16.1% over the past 30 years.

December 29, 2023

Audrey Schmitz

In the past decade alone, domestic per-capita consumption of cheese is up 17.1%, and per-capita butter consumption is up 9.0%.

InFocus: Increases in farm internet devices, access

October 4, 2023

Audrey Schmitz

Use of the internet and computer technology continues to grow on U.S. farms, whether in the farm office, freestall barn, milking parlor, field or pickup truck.

Growth industry: Dairy product consumption measures up

Per-capita dairy consumption growth patterns continue to evolve toward cheese, butter.

October 26, 2022

Dave Natzke

U.S. consumers continue to eat more dairy in the form of cheese, butter and yogurt, while the long-term decline in the consumption of fluid milk persists.

In Focus: Management, genetics boost milk quality

May 8, 2022

Dave Natzke

After reaching new levels of quality in 2020, U.S. milk producers saw one measure – somatic cell counts (SCC) – post a tiny setback in 2021, based on an annual summary of Dairy Herd Improvement (DHI) test-day results.

In Focus: Will 2022 be the best year for dairy in over a decade?

March 11, 2022

Aidan Connolly

Dairy producers’ optimism noted at recent trade shows is matched by current projections for farm profitability in 2022, based on current predicted feed and milk prices. Following several years of tight margins, it seems that 2022 could be the most profitable in a decade.

In Focus: 2021 was another wild ride

February 8, 2022

Dave Natzke

It took a roller coaster ride to get there, but December 2021 uniform milk prices in Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) reached the highest level in more than seven years. For many producers, the 12-month ride was anything but a trip to an amusement park.

In Focus: 2021 Dairy Margin Coverage payments reach $1.2 billion

January 18, 2022

Dave Natzke

In December, the USDA released details regarding changes to the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program, including hay price adjustments used to calculate monthly feed costs and margins, creation of a Supplemental DMC provision for small- and mid-sized dairy producers to update milk production history and establishment of a 2022 sign-up period.