Posted December 6, 2013
 
USDA’s latest report of dairy product commercial disappearance and its milk cost of production data have caused some confusion, according to a Capital Press article available here.  USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) said they will update the cost of production data and issue revised October estimates next month.
 
Jerry Dryer, editor of the Dairy and Food Market Analyst, said the Third Quarter commercial dairy product disappearance was strong, even though USDA’s data was “confused at best.”  Dryer said consumers are “burning through product faster that we’re producing it” with output only up around 1 percent, but disappearance for all milk and dairy products being up 3.5 percent.
 
The USDA’s Cold Storage report also shows a “record-setting drawdown” of butter stocks and cheese.
 
Strong milk prices could help dairy producers reach record gross milk income for 2013, according to an article by Wisconsin Ag Connection available here.
 
The USDA’s 2013 Farm Sector Income Forecast estimates 2013 U.S. dairy producer cash receipts from milk marketing at $40.05 billion, up from $37.00 billion in 2012, and surpassing the previous high of $39.51 billion in 2011. 

 

For more information on dairy pricing issues and dairy policy in the next farm bill, reports from the Congressional Research Service are available through the National Agricultural Law Center hereand here.
 
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