Posted: December 31, 2009 at 4:51 pm
By News Editor
Here’s some good news for dairy farmers New Year: milk prices are starting to rise.
The December all-milk price, according to the USDA, is $16.30 per hundredweight. That is up 44 percent from the lows registered this past summer. USDA used the $16.30 figure to compute the milk-feed ratio released in Wednesday’s “Agricultural Prices” report.
Here are the all-milk prices for 2009:
Jan. $13.30
Feb. $11.60
March $11.80
April $11.90
May $11.60
June $11.30
July $11.30
Aug. $12.00
Sept. $12.90
Oct. $14.20
Nov. $15.30
Dec. $16.30*
*Preliminary
Posted: December 31, 2009 at 4:41 pm
By News Editor
From the AP: The American Dairy Association & Dairy Council unveiled a 487-gallon mug of hot chocolate Wednesday in New York City. Officials say they think it’s the world’s largest.
Be sure to make your hot chocolate with milk this winter – it’s the best way to enjoy this warm treat! Here is a video of the story from YouTube:
Cash cheese prices at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange ended the year on a down note and corrected the unusually large price spread, but prices are sharply above those a year ago. The block price closed New Year’s Eve at $1.45 per pound, down 11 3/4-cents on the holiday shortened week, but a whopping 31 3/4-cents above that week a year ago when they tumbled almost 14 cents, to $1.1325. This week’s loss was in addition to the previous week’s 13 1/3 cent decline.
Barrels closed at $1.43, down a penny on the week but 30 cents above a year ago. Sixteen cars of block traded hands on the week and three of barrel. The NASS surveyed U.S. average block price hit $1.6917, up 1.7 cents. Barrel averaged $1.4994, down 1.5 cents.
Butter held all week at $1.3275, 19 3/4-cents above a year ago. Nothing sold. NASS butter averaged $1.3556, down 8 cents. NASS nonfat dry milk averaged $1.3327, up 4.3 cents, and dry whey averaged 37.25 cents, up 0.3 cent.
The Chairman of the Egyptian Buffalo Producer’s Association is Dr. Saad Alhayani (pictured left). He also owns and operates a very new open water buffalo feedlot and dairy. The U.S. Grains Council Corn Mission team I recently traveled with visited. These cute, sweet, little creatures are very different than your average bovine.
Dr. Alhayani says he imports frozen semen to assist in breeding better quality animals which is something relatively new to the country. He’s raising thousands of buffalo and feeding them corn and ddgs as well as other ingredients. We saw lots of bags of ddgs at his feedlot. That looked very positive for American corn growers! He says sometimes they blend as much as 25% ddgs in the feed.
His goal is to produce a few thousand pregnant heifers for local producers and maybe even to export. He appreciates the assistance he’s received from the USGC.
You can listen to my interview with Dr. Alhayani’s below and watch a video clip of him showing us his operation as well:
Posted: December 30, 2009 at 9:55 pm
By News Editor
Dairy Management Inc.™ (DMI), who manages the national dairy checkoff, is proud to report that in 2009, partnerships and innovation helped to drive sales for America’s dairy producers. Read on to learn more.
Tom Gallagher, chief executive officer for DMI cited these key accomplishments that helped dairy producers and the U.S. dairy industry build sales in 2009 and beyond.
· Partnering to create a “Legend.” Dairy producers began a partnership with Domino’s Pizza® to help revitalize the pizza category and build cheese sales. In February, Domino’s introduced its American Legends™ pizzas, which are six specialty pizzas that use up to 40 percent more cheese than the chain’s traditional pizzas. Domino’s invested four to five times the amount dairy producers invested, and due to the success of the specialty pizzas other chains are increasing cheese on their pizza offerings as well.
· Reformulating school pizza. National and local dairy checkoff organizations are working with industry partners to create a school pizza that will meet increasingly restrictive school nutrition guidelines, while also meeting kids’ taste preferences. School pizza is the most popular entrée in schools, and therefore is an important priority for growing long-term sales.
· Growing dairy sales at McDonald’s®. As part of a multi-year partnership between dairy producers and McDonald’s, the chain launched its McCafe® specialty coffee offerings – which use up to 80 percent milk – in its 14,000 restaurants across the country. McDonald’s also launched its Third Pounder Angus Burgers, three new burger options with two slices of cheese per sandwich, resulting in an additional 6 million pounds of cheese sold.
While I was participating in the U.S. Grains Council Corn Mission in Egypt we received another presention on the Cattle Information Center at Cairo University by Dr. Samy Abou-Bakr.
He describes that there are two different water buffalo dairy and feedlot systems. One is old and one is new. In the older model, the herd size is small, handled with lots of labor and very little if any records are kept. In the new, the herds are larger commercial operations of over 50 head of animals. Records are being kept and animals are being bred for desirable characteristics.
What this all means for American grain growers is that as the beef and dairy sector grows in Egypt it continues to become a growth market for our products.
The new Yogurt Parfait includes slices of fresh strawberries, covered in creamy, vanilla yogurt topped with either Chick-fil-A’s own Harvest Nut Granola blend or Chocolate Cookie Crumbs. Topped with granola, the Yogurt Parfait has 240 calories and 5 grams of fat, and the cookie crumb option brings the parfait down to 200 calories with 4.5 grams of fat. Both choices also are trans-fat free. Initially promoted as a breakfast option, the parfait will be offered throughout the day and starts at $2.25.
The low-key item isn’t expected to supplant Chick-fil-A’s mainstay chicken. But it’s a sign the company is evolving along with its customer base, said William “Woody” Faulk, vice president of brand strategy and design.
Diners want a broader range of nutritional choices, he said. The yogurt parfait may fill a need among customers who have been to the doctor and have been encouraged to adjust their diets. In that environment, “all-fried, all the time is not sustainable” for a restaurant chain, said Faulk.
So, the eventual draw of low-fat yogurt among Chick-fil-A’s customers remains to be seen. In any case, the company envisions additional healthy offerings. But new roll-outs will probably follow the company’s philosophy of menu permanence, meaning new items will be few and far between.
I had the honor and pleasure to participate in a U.S. Grains Council Corn Mission trip recently. We visited Morocco, Egypt and Jordan to see how efforts to create new markets for corn are going. The dairy industry in these countries played a key role in our meetings and tour stops. I’m going to post some of the stories of what I found for you over the next several days starting with this one.
The first stop for the U.S. Grains Council Corn Mission team in Egypt was Cairo University and specifically the ag school. Our first presenter was Dr. Rabie Ragab Sadek who gave us an overview of the Cattle Information Systems Center of Egypt. The project was created to develop a cattle information system that would provide statistically representative, adequate data for cattle breeding research and for the future development of a national breeding program. The goal to create genetic improvement of both milk and meat producing cattle and buffalo.
He introduces our other presenters who would speak about specifics about the accomplishments of the University’s dairy herd improvement unit.
Posted: December 24, 2009 at 12:48 pm
By News Editor
From all of us here at World Dairy Diary – we wish you a joyful, peaceful and merry Christmas! We hope that each of you is able to spend time with family and friends and reflect on the things that are important to you.
Block cheese closed the shortened holiday week at $1.5675 per pound, down 13 1/2-cents on the week, but 29 3/4-cents above that week a year ago. Barrel closed Thursday at $1.44, unchanged on the week, 13 1/4-cents above a year ago, and 12 3/4-cents below the blocks. Twenty seven cars of block traded hands on the week and six of barrel.
Butter closed Thursday at $1.3275, up a quarter-cent on the week, and 18 3/4-cents above a year ago. Twelve cars were sold on the week.
Posted: December 24, 2009 at 12:45 pm
By News Editor
Tonight’s the night when delicious and nutritious MILK has a starring role – as Santa’s favorite drink with his cookies! Even President Barack Obama and his family plan to leave out milk and cookies and even some reindeer snacks. What kind of milk and cookies are you leaving for the man in red?
In an interview with Spanish-language television station Univision, Obama said the White House was expecting Santa to come through the Yellow Room chimney in the middle of the presidential residence.
“Because we want to make sure when it comes to the White House that he feels like he is getting good service.”
Obama is preparing to spend his first Christmas in the White House with his wife Michelle and their two daughters Sasha and Malia.
You know social media has become part of the ag communications world when you start seeing top ten lists like this one from Fastline (Part 1 and Part 2). I’m honored to have been selected for it and congratulate all the folks listed. Two of the top ten on the list are dairymen!
Social media has really taken the world of agriculture by storm in 2009. The ag community on Twitter has blossomed substantially and there were some standouts that Fastline has named our Top 10 Ag Twitter Users of 2009.
There are so many people in agriculture that have gotten involved with Twitter and social media in 2009, it would have been impossible for us to list them all. However, each of you plays an important role in telling agriculture’s story and we appreciate all that everyone does. Keep up the great work and keep working hard for ag.
Posted: December 22, 2009 at 9:06 pm
By News Editor
Congratulations to Jessie Grearson of Falmouth, Maine for winning a one-year supply of Turkey Hill ice cream for the Chocolate Peppermint Ice Cream Torte recipe she entered for Turkey Hill Dairy’s Ultimate Holiday Recipe Contest! The torte looks yummy! Be sure to visit the Turkey Hill Ice Cream Journal for this recipe, and more!
The contest asked Turkey Hill fans to submit their favorite ice cream recipes in one of two categories: recipes using Turkey Hill Ginger Snap Limited Edition Premium Ice Cream or any other Turkey Hill ice cream flavor.
More than 240 recipes were received with the four best featured on the Dairy’s blog, the Ice Cream Journal. Among the finalists were: Patti Williams of Flushing, Mich., with her Decadent Dutch Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pie recipe; Paula Levine of Metuchen, N.J., with her Ginger Snap Apple Pecan Pie Parfait recipe; and Stefanie Schmidt of Las Vegas with her Ginger Snap and Pumpkin Cookie Sandwich recipe. Each of the finalists will receive a one-month supply of Turkey Hill ice cream.
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ cups flour
1 ¼ cups sugar
1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 tsp salt
½ cup cocoa powder
¼ cup shortening
1 cup sour cream
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
4 cups Turkey Hill original vanilla ice cream (or more if needed)
½ cup crushed peppermint stick candy, divided
½ cup mini marshmallows
Bittersweet chocolate sauce for drizzling slices, and whipped cream to decorate (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350. Spray four 8-inch cake pans with non-stick spray. Whisk together first 5 dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Add shortening, sour cream, vanilla and eggs and beat with hand mixer for 2-3 minutes. Divide batter among cake pans, smoothing tops. Bake for 13-15 minutes. Cool in pan, then remove to a cooling rack. Freeze.
When ready to assemble, mix crushed candy (reserving a tbsp for top) into softened ice cream with mini marshmallows. Spread ice cream mixture between layers and just across top (don’t attempt sides). Sprinkle top with reserved crushed candy and freeze. When ready to serve, let sit at room temperature for a few minutes and slice with a thin knife dipped into hot water. This gives the layered look of a torte without the difficulty of slicing cakes horizontally. Freezing the cake layers makes them easy to work with. Serve slices drizzled with bittersweet chocolate sauce and stars of whipped cream!
Generally I see disagreements on policy issues based upon different vantage points and positions and it is appropriate to agree to disagree. There are those rare times when such a gentlemanly approach is inappropriate and what is wrong should be called just that.
Some of the arguments regarding imposing higher tariff rates or quotas on milk protein concentrates (MPC) create such a moment. Let me make this point clear up front: I clearly support efforts to bring fairness to the import treatment of milk protein concentrates (MPCs) under the tariff rate quotas of the U.S. For reasons or excuses which gain us nothing, the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule has no special tariff rate quota for MPC as it does for cheeses, non-fat dry milk (NFDM) and other dairy products. While NFDM is subject to quota tariffs as high as 4 cents a pound plus transportation, imports of MPC40 and above are subject to a minimal duty of only $3.70 per metric ton, or less than a quarter of a cent per pound. Giving foreign producers of this valuable dairy product a virtual free pass to our consumers is wrong.
While I join that fight, I part ways with those who base their challenge to imported MPCs by asserting that all MPCs are foreign in source or claiming that using MPC in products is either illegal or unsafe. We must recognize that MPCs also come from American-produced milk. Once an MPC is in the product, it is not an American MPC or a foreign MPC. It is not the concentration that gives value to the product but the milk protein itself, and Americans consume billions of pounds of milk proteins every year. Only a small percent of those are produced outside of America. When we say bad things about MPC and products that use them, we are saying bad things about our milk.
The American dairyman is rightfully concerned about the absence of import limits on MPCs through inadequate tariff rate quotas, and we all should continue to fight for their inclusion. In that fight we need to argue that foreign products, often subsidized by the governments where produced, should not have an unfair advantage over our domestically produced products. In this fight we must remember that the biggest supplier of MPC in America are American dairymen, and we should never, never falsely argue that this wonderful wholesome product we produce, especially its valuable protein component, is unsafe to our consumers. I hope we can agree on all of that.
Posted: December 21, 2009 at 8:31 pm
By News Editor
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced that approximately $60 million in cheese and cheese products will be purchased by the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) for use in domestic feeding programs through USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service.
USDA is expediting this cheese purchase to help provide much-needed support for low-income families struggling to put nutritious food on their tables, and to deliver timely assistance to dairy farmers who have been challenged by high feed costs and low dairy prices.
“This purchase will provide food to people in need, while helping dairy producers who are facing economic challenges by increasing demand for dairy products,” said Secretary Vilsack. “The Obama Administration continues to lend assistance in any way we can to support struggling agricultural industries.”
Along with providing market benefits for U.S. dairy producers, commodity purchases such as the $60 million announced today provide much-needed food aid – in the form of high-protein cheese – to food banks across our nation. The purchase continues USDA’s long history of delivering nutritional assistance through domestic and international feeding programs, including 15 domestic nutrition programs that touch the lives of one in every five people in America each day.
This aid comes at a time when demand on the nation’s food banks has reached an all-time high.
The 2010 Agricultural Appropriations Act authorized $60 million for the purchase of cheese and cheese products. This cheese purchase marks the second of two steps announced this week by USDA to utilize a total of $350 million authorized under the Act. Yesterday, Vilsack announced the Dairy Economic Loss Assistance Payment Program, which provides $290 million for one-time payments to eligible dairy producers.
Posted: December 21, 2009 at 8:19 pm
By News Editor
Congratulations to Russell C. Redding on being confirmed by the Pennsylvania Senate as the state’s 24th secretary of agriculture. Governor Edward G. Rendell nominated Redding on Sept. 12. Since then, he has served as acting secretary.
“Russell is the right person to lead our state’s agriculture industry,” said Governor Rendell. “His commitment to this state and the agriculture industry is unrivaled, and his proven leadership at the local, state and federal levels will serve the commonwealth well. Russell is an outstanding advocate for Pennsylvania agriculture and I thank the Senate for confirming him as secretary.”
As secretary, Redding oversees the department responsible for encouraging, promoting and protecting the state’s leading economic industry, agriculture, and its related industries. The department also has regulatory authority over food safety, animal health and the state’s dog law, as well as inspection of weight and measurement devices and amusement rides.
“For the past 15 years I have had the pleasure of working each day with some of the best public servants, both elected and appointed, this state has known,” said Redding. “My experiences during this period have confirmed for me that the achievements of the Pennsylvania agriculture industry are a reflection of the great work done by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture staff, as well as the more than 63,000 farms and thousands of related agricultural businesses that we serve.
Redding said that he will focus on ensuring that the department is open and accessible to preserve strong relationships with consumers and businesses; enhancing food safety in Pennsylvania by meeting the statutory mandate and through collaborative efforts such as the Governor’s Food Safety Council; expanding environmental stewardship efforts through continued leadership on farmland preservation; making full use of the authority from the Farm Bill for conservation by balancing the needs of farmers and the public with the need for clean water in the Chesapeake Bay; supporting Pennsylvanians who are at-risk for hunger; redoubling efforts of existing programs and initiatives to benefit future generations of producers and consumers; and strengthening the department’s connection to its sister agencies and related state and local partners.
Posted: December 19, 2009 at 10:31 am
By News Editor
The Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin (PDPW) announce the 2010 Managers Academy, Jan. 19-21, in Seattle, Wash. The conference is open to industry leaders and dairy producers wanting to identify those opportunities as well as build professional competencies and confidence.
The Managers Academy includes two days of highly interactive presentations, workshops and panels coupled with one day of unique, insider-only tours of three world renowned businesses.
Dr. David Kohl, president of AgriVisions, a knowledge-based consulting business, will lead Day 1, sharing proactive management practices that can help attendees capitalize on the economic environment to reach peak business performance. He’ll also oversee a unique workshop where a panel of three CEOs will detail how they navigated through financial crisis, environmental regulations and other challenges to land their companies on solid ground—and then help attendees switch roles with these CEOs to determine the next steps for each company.
Day 2 will be learning outside a classroom setting, with tours of three diverse and vibrant businesses: Pike Place Fish Mart, Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery and Werkhoven Dairy Farm. Key players of each business will address the group and share their secrets of transformation and business success. No question to these CEOs will be off limits.
David Parker, senior vice president of Agribusiness Group, will lead the third and final day of the Managers Academy, providing insight on “Critical Thinking for Critical Times.” After absorbing practical business wisdom, attendees will work in small teams, begin to develop and utilize a planning document designed for application in their own business and engage in “war-gaming.” Participants will leave the session having heard and learned from their peers and empowered to make more effective short- and long-term decision for the viability and advancement of their business.
Posted: December 18, 2009 at 1:46 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced the implementation of the new Dairy Economic Loss Assistance Payment (DELAP) program. The 2010 Agricultural Appropriations Bill authorized $290 million for loss assistance payments to eligible dairy producers.
“Through this program, eligible dairy producers will receive economic assistance that will help stabilize their operations during these tough economic times,” said Vilsack. “I have personally heard from hundreds of struggling dairy farmers from all across our country who have been hit hard by declining prices over the past year, and now, we’ll be able to offer them help.”
Eligible producers will receive a one-time direct payment based on the amount of milk both produced and commercially marketed by their operation during the months of February through July 2009. Production information from these months will be used to estimate a full year’s production for an operation to calculate the payments, using a 6-million pound per dairy operation limit.
Posted: December 18, 2009 at 1:41 pm
By Cindy Zimmerman
Four “Friends of Expo” were recognized at a special, baseball-themed volunteer appreciation dinner recently at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin. Nearly 150 volunteers gathered to acknowledge their contributions and celebrate a successful 2009 show.
Honored for their years of support and outstanding service to World Dairy Expo, these individuals were selected from among the nearly 400 volunteers who help run the cattle shows, commercial exhibits, youth contests, school tours and Purple Cow Gift Shop during the annual, five-day show. The 2009 honorees include: Connie Kolpin, Gary Kolpin, Lynda Yates and Gordon Marquart.
Industry eyes are on the large price spread which grew this week between Chicago Mercantile Exchange block and barrel cheese. It is the longest lived spread ever and is hurting barrel manufacturers particularly.
The blocks closed the third week of December at $1.7025 per pound, up a quarter-cent on the week, and 40 cents above a year ago when the blocks plunged 21 cents, to $1.3025. Barrel closed December 18 at $1.44, down 2 cents on the week, 8 1/2-cents above a year ago, but 26 1/4-cents below the block price. Forty five cars of block traded hands on the week and only two of barrel. The NASS-surveyed U.S. average block price averaged $1.6227, up 3.8 cents. Barrel averaged $1.5165, down slightly.
Butter closed at $1.3250, down 12 1/2-cents on the week, but 15 1/2-cents above a year ago. Eight cars were sold. NASS butter averaged $1.4520, down 4.6 cents.
Cash Grade A nonfat dry milk closed Friday at $1.37, down a penny. Extra Grade held all week at $1.40. NASS nonfat dry milk averaged $1.2756, up 1.4 cents. Dry whey averaged 36.34 cents, up 0.1 cent.
Dairy Markets Week in Review
The Chairman of the 
While I was participating in the U.S. Grains Council Corn Mission in Egypt we received another presention on the Cattle Information Center at Cairo University by Dr. Samy Abou-Bakr.
I had the honor and pleasure to participate in a 
Tonight’s the night when delicious and nutritious MILK has a starring role – as Santa’s favorite drink with his cookies! Even 
You know social media has become part of the ag communications world when you start seeing top ten lists like this one from Fastline (
Congratulations to Jessie Grearson of Falmouth, Maine for 
A 
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has 
Congratulations to Russell C. Redding on being confirmed by the Pennsylvania Senate as the 
The 
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has 