The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has confirmed that the mystery illness that first struck older dairy cattle in the Texas panhandle is highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu. The confirmation came after milk from sick animals tested positive for the virus. USDA, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and veterinary and public health officials are now conducting an investigation and have encouraged farmers to monitor and report cattle illnesses quickly.

Symptoms of the illness include sudden decrease in lactation, thicker milk, a drop in feed consumption, and in some cases, pneumonia and mastitis. The symptoms last between 10 and 14 days, with animals recovering on their own, thus not requiring culling of herds similar to what takes place in the poultry sector when birds are affected by the virus. Farmers who observe clinical signs in their herd consistent with this outbreak should immediately contact their veterinarian. Veterinarians who observe these clinical signs and have ruled out other diagnoses on a client’s farm should contact the state veterinarian and plan to submit a complete set of samples to be tested at a diagnostic laboratory.

For dairies whose herds are exhibiting symptoms, on average about 10% of each affected herd appears to be impacted, with little to no associated mortality reported among the animals. Milk loss resulting from symptomatic cattle to date is ‘too limited’ to have a major impact on supply and there should be no impact on the price of milk or other dairy products. The disease doesn’t appear to affect dry cows.

Industry bodies warn against ‘unnecessary or unfair’ impacts to trade. The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC), and Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) said that enhanced biosecurity protocols were underway on dairy farms.

In the bustling world of dairy products, Hayley and Stephanie Painter have carved out a niche with their innovative yogurt company, blending tradition with modern culinary trends. Their journey from farm to spoon exemplifies the spirit of entrepreneurship, sustainability, and dedication to quality. Let’s delve into the story behind their successful venture.

Founding Principles: Hayley and Stephanie, sisters with a passion for wholesome food and sustainable agriculture, grew up on their family’s dairy farm. Inspired by their upbringing and a desire to create something truly exceptional, they embarked on a mission to produce artisanal yogurt using locally sourced, organic ingredients.

The Journey Begins: Armed with a vision and a commitment to excellence, the Painters set out to transform their dreams into reality. They started small, experimenting with recipes in their farmhouse kitchen and sourcing high-quality milk from their family’s dairy herd. Their dedication to quality and attention to detail quickly garnered praise from family and friends, sparking the idea to commercialize their yogurt.

Building the Brand: With a clear vision and a delicious product in hand, Hayley and Stephanie set about building their brand. They crafted a name that reflected their values of authenticity and craftsmanship, and their vibrant packaging showcased the natural beauty of their rural surroundings. Through farmer’s markets, word-of-mouth, and social media, they began to attract a loyal following of health-conscious consumers seeking a truly wholesome yogurt experience.

Sustainable Sourcing: Central to the Painters’ ethos is a commitment to sustainable sourcing practices. They forged partnerships with local farmers and suppliers who shared their dedication to organic farming and animal welfare. By prioritizing locally sourced ingredients and minimizing their carbon footprint, they not only ensured the freshness and quality of their products but also supported their community’s agricultural economy.

Innovation and Adaptation: As their yogurt gained popularity, Hayley and Stephanie remained committed to innovation, constantly experimenting with new flavors and product lines. They embraced consumer feedback and market trends, introducing dairy-free alternatives and exploring partnerships with like-minded artisans. Their willingness to adapt and evolve has been key to staying ahead in a competitive industry while staying true to their values.

Community Engagement: Beyond their commitment to quality and sustainability, the Painters are deeply invested in their community. They host farm tours, educational workshops, and tasting events, inviting customers to connect with the source of their food and learn about the art of yogurt making. Their genuine passion for their craft and dedication to transparency have fostered a sense of trust and loyalty among their customers.

Looking to the Future: As they look to the future, Hayley and Stephanie remain steadfast in their commitment to producing the highest quality yogurt while staying true to their roots. They envision expanding their reach while maintaining the integrity and authenticity that have defined their brand from the beginning. With their unwavering dedication and entrepreneurial spirit, the Painters are poised to continue making waves in the world of dairy, one spoonful at a time.

The University of Guelph is set to launch a new, interdisciplinary Master of Sustainable Agriculture (MSAg) program starting in summer 2025. The 16-month program will equip students with the latest advancements and skills in sustainable agriculture, data analysis, and agri-tech innovations through graduate-level course work. Students will focus on plant agriculture, livestock agriculture, or environmental sciences during the program, providing a broad exploration of the various facets of the agriculture sector and how to mitigate its impact on the environment.

Course offerings are flexible, and professional development opportunities allow students to customize their studies to match their career aspirations. Courses include social science courses in agricultural economics, change communication, and leadership, giving students a broad perspective of sustainability and how to drive change in the sector. Experiential learning is a major component of the program, including hands-on field courses and site visits to major agricultural operations throughout Ontario. Students will also have the opportunity to participate in an internship to work on projects for agricultural organizations to help bolster their sustainability efforts.

The skills and training graduates receive will help build a more sustainable Canadian agricultural sector, as Canadian food producers transition to smart machines and focus on strategy and systems. Nevin McDougall, managing partner of RHA Ventures Inc., said that this new program will help develop future professionals who possess the skills necessary to address the demand for more sustainable production practices. Prospective students are encouraged to contact the OAC admissions team.

Statement from the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) and Dairy Management Inc. (DMI)

Earlier today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in two dairy cattle herds in Texas and two herds in Kansas. 

Importantly, USDA confirmed that there is no threat to human health and milk and dairy products remain safe to consume. Pasteurization (high heat treatment) kills harmful microbes and pathogens in milk, including the influenza virus.

Also, routine testing and well-established protocols for U.S. dairy will continue to ensure that only safe milk enters the food supply. In keeping with the federal Grade “A” Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO), milk from sick cows must be collected separately and is not allowed to enter the food supply chain. This means affected dairy cows are segregated, as is normal practice with any animal health concern, and their milk does not enter the food supply.

Consumers in the United States and around the world can remain confident in the safety and quality of U.S. dairy.

Enhanced Biosecurity Protocols Underway on U.S. Dairy Farms

As information related to an illness affecting dairy cows in several states began to circulate over the past two weeks, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) worked with state veterinary authorities as well as federal partners including the FDA to swiftly identify and respond to detections and mitigate the virus’ impact on U.S. dairy production. Dairy farmers also have begun implementing enhanced biosecurity protocols on their farms, limiting the amount of traffic into and out of their properties and restricting visits to employees and essential personnel. Avian influenza is an animal health issue, not a human health concern. Importantly, mammals including cows do not spread avian influenza—it requires birds as the vector of transmission and it’s extremely rare for the virus to affect humans because most people will never have direct and prolonged contact with an infected bird, especially on a dairy farm. As a precaution, dairy farmers are taking important measures to protect their workers.

The National Dairy FARM Program (NDFP) offers several valuable biosecurity resources providing dairy farmers with tools to keep their cattle and dairy businesses safe, including:
• Everyday Biosecurity Reference Manual
• Enhanced Biosecurity Prep Guide 
• Herd Health Plan Protocol Template – Biosecurity
• Animal Movement Log
• People Entry Log

Biosecurity practices guidance is available here.

Dairy farmers who observe clinical signs in their herd consistent with this outbreak, such as a significant loss of animal appetite and rumination or an acute drop in milk production, should immediately contact their veterinarian. Veterinarians who observe these clinical signs and have ruled out other diagnoses on a client’s farm should contact the state veterinarian and plan to submit a complete set of samples to be tested at a diagnostic laboratory.

What is Pasteurization? 

Pasteurization is a process that kills harmful bacteria and pathogens, including viruses, by heating milk to a specific temperature for a set period of time. The processing of milk products involves pasteurization of the raw milk to a minimum of 161.5˚F for 15 seconds and then immediately cooling it. Ultra pasteurization is a process that heats milk at a higher temperature for specified times to extend a product’s shelf life.

What is Avian Influenza? 

Detections of avian influenza in birds, including chickens, are common in the United States in the spring and fall due to wild birds spreading the virus as they migrate to and from their seasonal homes. While it is uncommon for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza to affect dairy cows, USDA APHIS has been tracking detections of HPAI in mammals for many years in the United States, leading dairy farmers and veterinarians in the United States to prepare for this eventuality. As a result, dairy farmers have taken immediate measures to enhance biosecurity measures in and around dairy farms to keep the food supply safe.

About the Illness in Cows

Dairy producers with affected cows are reporting a rapid onset illness in herds, specifically among older, lactating cows. Clinical signs include:

• Decreased herd level milk production
• Acute sudden drop in production
• Decrease in feed consumption
• Abnormal feces and some fever
• Older cows may be more likely to be severely impacted than younger cows

According to dairy farmers and veterinarians reporting on affected herds, most affected cows recover within two to three weeks.

Information for Affected Producers 

Producers who believe dairy cattle within their herd are showing the clinical signs described above should report these signs immediately to state veterinarians. Animals may also be reported to APHIS’ toll-free number at 1-866-536-7593.

Trade and Exports

The U.S. dairy industry will continue to work with the U.S. federal government, trading partners and the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) to encourage adherence to WOAH standards and minimize all unnecessary or unfair trade impacts. It is essential that trading partners do not impose bans or restrictions on the international trade of dairy commodities in response to these and future notifications and rely on the science-based food safety steps taken in U.S. dairy processing, namely pasteurization, in preserving market access.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are investigating an illness affecting older dairy cows in Texas, Kansas, and New Mexico. Unpasteurized clinical samples of milk from sick cattle collected from two dairy farms in Kansas and one in Texas, as well as an oropharyngeal swab from another dairy in Texas, have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Additional testing was initiated on Friday, March 22, and over the weekend because farms have also reported finding deceased wild birds on their properties. Initial testing by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories has not found changes to the virus that would make it more transmissible to humans, indicating that the current risk to the public remains low. Federal and state agencies are conducting additional testing for HPAI and viral genome sequencing to better understand the situation.

At this stage, there is no concern about the safety of the commercial milk supply or that this circumstance poses a risk to consumer health. Dairies are required to send only milk from healthy animals into processing for human consumption, and pasteurization has proven to inactivate bacteria and viruses, like influenza, in milk. Federal agencies are working with state and industry partners to encourage farmers and veterinarians to report cattle illnesses quickly to monitor potential additional cases and minimize the impact on farmers, consumers, and other animals.

The disease has caused a drop in milk production and unusual milk appearance, with some cows showing signs of fever, mastitis, or pneumonia. Production may be reduced for seven to 10 days until symptoms subside. The Texas Department of Agriculture is not predicting depopulation of dairy herds, as cattle are expected to fully recover. Symptoms are most common in older, mid-lactation cows, with no reported cases in calves, heifers, or dry cows. The state is urging all Texas dairies to adhere to strict biosecurity protocols, including limiting farm access to essential personnel, disinfecting vehicles, isolating affected animals, and destroying contaminated milk. Additionally, waterers should be cleaned and disinfected, and drinking water should be isolated from waterfowl-contaminated water sources.

The Oregon Department of Agriculture has withdrawn its decision to require small dairy operations to apply for a permit usually intended for larger commercial farms. This change came after dairy industry lobbyists complained that some small dairy farms had an unfair competitive advantage over bigger farms that had to follow state regulations and pay annual fees. In its 2023 decision, the state department of agriculture determined small dairy farms met its definition of a CAFO since farmers usually have to confine or tie up cows while they’re being milked.

The rule would have required small dairy farms to install expensive drainage systems, put in wastewater holdings tanks, keep daily records, pay annual fees starting at $125, on top of a $100 application fee, or face fines up to $10,000 if they didn’t comply. Christine Anderson, who milks three cows and owns Cast Iron Farm in Yamhill County, said it just doesn’t make sense to regulate small dairy farms or homesteaders with a handful of cows, sheep, or goats the same way as larger farms.

Wastewater plans and CAFO regulations are necessary for larger farms that produce tons of manure, but smaller dairy farms don’t impact the environment as much as bigger farms do. Sarah King, who runs Godspeed Hollow Farm in Newberg, said that smaller dairy farms serve local communities and families that don’t have food access.

The state agency’s decision follows a lawsuit filed by Anderson, King, and two other dairy farmers. The case seeks to stop the agency from enforcing the regulation, which would have kicked in April 1. Since the withdrawal is only temporary and the department is not conceding that it lacked the power to enforce the new requirements, the lawsuit, filed by the nonprofit Institute for Justice, will continue in federal court.

Apple has revolutionized consumer technology by focusing on user-friendly interfaces, data security, access, sustainability, and recycling. The company’s focus extends beyond packaging to include intuitive icons and menus for new adopters, aiming to democratize technology for all. Apple has also prioritized data security, access, sustainability, and recycling, addressing user concerns as they evolve.

Farmers are increasingly exposed to new app-based technology, offering numerous benefits. However, these technologies face challenges such as harsh environments, rodents attacking wiring, unpredictable animals damaging the technology attached to it, and electrical issues. The traditional Silicon Valley approach of “fake it till you make it” is not an option, leading to both AgTech business failure and farmer fatigue with overpromised solutions.

Farmers often struggle with the user interfaces produced by AgTech companies, which are well beyond the capabilities of small and young AgTech firms. This results in farmers investing in new technology but rarely realizing its potential. For example, 25% of cows wear some form of device or sensor, but only mention “heat detection.” Smart tractors have been around for two decades, but data scientists report that the main function used is tracking when the tractor is running and when it is off. Providers of sensors, smart cameras, robotics, and IoT devices installed in livestock farms struggle to provide devices resistant to cleaning and environmental contaminants.

Broadband for control and monitoring is not always available in rural areas. The risk of a data breach is a real problem in most of the technology world, but farm data is less valued and less protected due to the vulnerability to hacking on farms. Agricultural tech platforms often provide huge quantities of data, but meaningful insights are often obscured by too much, too detailed, or untimely data. Farmers often have to work to generate actionable data, such as alerting cows about feed shortages, delayed rumination, lameness, acidosis, and individual changes in nutrition or culling practices.

Despite the perception that farmers are reluctant to adopt technology, since the advent of the plow, they have always innovated. Producers today are increasingly familiar with automation and eager to be the first to install the next big thing, but they don’t love technology for technology’s sake. Farmers want technology that addresses real problems and is user-friendly. As producer Chad Swindoll commented, “Agriculture doesn’t have an innovation problem. It has an implementation problem.”

The current hope for AI is that it can pull out meaningful data, improve the user experience, and anticipate user needs. Apple has expanded consumers’ expectations of simplicity in using technology, which has affected the expectations of farmers. An important aspect of Apple’s revolutionary impact is its emphasis on design and user experience, as well as its commitment to being at the forefront of industry standards.

The dairy processing plant HP Hood, located in Lynnfield, Massachusetts, plans to invest $120 million in expanding its Batavia, New York, location. The current plant is 448,185 square feet; the addition of 32,500 square feet would boost its capacity by 10%, or 20 million gallons of dairy products annually. As a result, the factory will produce close to 150 million gallons a year. New batching and processing equipment will also be a part of the development, enabling the business to start a new manufacturing line and boost capacity. Because it will help to develop the dairy center in the northeast, the project is anticipated to have a positive impact on the agriculture industry as well as the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park.

Applications are being accepted for college scholarships that are awarded by America’s dairy farmers and importers through the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board (NDB).

Eleven scholarships worth $2,500 each will be awarded, in addition to a $3,500 James H. Loper Jr. Memorial Scholarship to one outstanding recipient. NDB funds, in part, Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), which manages the national dairy checkoff program.

Undergraduate students in their sophomore through senior year for the 2024-25 academic school year and enrolled in college/university programs that emphasize dairy are eligible. Relevant majors may include: communications/public relations, journalism, marketing, business, economics, nutrition, food science and agriculture education.

Scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement, an interest in a career in a dairy-related discipline, and demonstrated leadership, initiative and integrity. Candidates must complete an application form, submit an official transcript of all college courses, and write a short statement describing their career aspirations, dairy-related activities and work experiences.

Applications can be found at usdairy.com/about-us/dmi/scholarship

Completed applications must be received no later than May 31, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. CST. Questions about the program can be submitted to ndbscholarships@dairy.org

Dairy Management Inc.™ (DMI) is funded by America’s more than 26,000 dairy farmers, as well as dairy importers. Created to help increase sales and demand for dairy products, DMI and its related organizations work to increase demand for dairy through research, education and innovation, and to maintain confidence in dairy foods, farms and businesses. DMI manages the National Dairy Council and the American Dairy Association and founded the U.S. Dairy Export Council and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy.

The Wisconsin Dairy Alliance has filed an appeal against the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources over pollution discharge elimination system licenses. The initial complaint argued that the DNR lacked the jurisdiction to require farmers to get licenses under the state’s water quality statutes. Calumet County Judge Carey Reed dismissed this argument in January. Kim Bremmer of Venture Dairy Cooperative feels that farmers should not be required to get a discharge permit if they are not dischargers. Bremmer believes their appeal will be successful based on prior court decisions, since the federal Supreme Court has ruled against the EPA using identical wording. Bremmer thinks the state should halt polluters, but Wisconsin already has the nation’s strictest water regulatory regulations for big farms, and they are not polluting the state’s rivers. The Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce Litigation Center is handling the appeals case.

Charles Wayne Lutz, 72, of Mocksville, was unexpectedly called to his heavenly home on Sunday, March 10, 2024.

Wayne was born on January 31, 1952, in Catawba County, to the late Charles Lewis and Ethel McLail Compton Lutz. Wayne was a member of First United Methodist Church. He was raised on the family Jersey dairy farm, to which he returned upon graduation from NC State in 1974. Wayne relocated to Davie County in 1979, renting the dairy facility owned by Richard and Mable Allen. In 1981, he purchased Deerview Jersey Farm at its current location off of Cana Road. He milked pure bred Jerseys until his semi-retirement in 2017, retaining enough heifers to allow his grandchildren to participate in dairy livestock shows. Wayne was known as loving, funny and genuinely kind by those lucky to share his life.

In his youth, he was an accomplished 4-Her, honing his dairy judging and showing skills at local, regional and national level. Later he was a frequent judge of the same, judging in excess of 300+ county and district dairy shows. Wayne took immense pleasure is working with and promoting youth activities.

He was honored to be inducted into the NC State Fair Livestock Hall of Fame, having exhibited at every NC State Fair since the age of 3 and being Premier Breeder and Exhibitor numerous times; was awarded the Marvin E. Sengar Distinguished Dairy Farmer, as well as Davie County Conservation Family of the Year in 1990 and 2011.

He is preceded in death by his parents, and infant brother, Steven.

He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Karen and their three daughters, Whitney Munden (Christopher) of Advance, Kelsey Daye Lutz (Shamus Eberhardt) of Anacortes, WA, and Avery Lutz of Richmond, VA; siblings, Brenda Lutz of Huntersville, Corey Lutz (Bridgett), and Kevin Lutz; all of Lincolnton; and grandchildren, Coet Munden, Piper Munden, Atlas Munden, Wilder Munden, and Oslo Eberhardt.

A memorial service will be held at 11 am, Thursday, March 14, at Carrigan Farms West entrance 1213 Oakridge Farm Hwy, Mooresville, with Rev. Lori Anne Bowen officiating. The family invites friends visit with them following the service for lunch, fellowship and the celebration of a life well lived.

In lieu of flowers, please consider memorials to Davie High FFA, 180 War Eagle Drive, Mocksville NC 27028.

Online condolences www.lambertfuneralhomenc.com

The fourth World Champion Cheese title, and the third consecutive one, has gone to a little mountain creamery in Switzerland.

Gourmino cheese is made in Bern, Switzerland, by Michael Spycher at Mountain Dairy Fritzenhaus. The river that runs beside the creamery is the inspiration for his Hornbacher cheese. It beat out 3,302 other submissions with a score of 98.98 out of 100.

Joe Salonia of Gourmino was there in Madison, Wisconsin on Thursday when the winner was announced. He explains that the cheese is crafted using milk from local, small farmers. “There are nine or ten dairy farmers within five or six kilometers who will deliver fresh, raw, beautiful Swiss cows milk twice a day.”

The Area of Protection (AOP) contains stringent regulations, according to Salonia, which affect local Swiss farmers. They still need to spend time outside, even in the dead of winter. The cows may eat grass or hay, with a little grain or snack every now and again, but silage—preserved hay—never allowed since it would induce gas bubbles, which would ruin the lengthy ripening process of raw milk cheese.

The majority of the cows milked by the local farmers are Holsteins or Red Fleckviehs, a cross of Simmental and Red Holsteins, according to Salonia.

Four world championships have been won by Michael Spycher’s creamery, with the latest three being consecutive.

On a biannual basis, the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association holds the World Championship Cheese Contest.

Michigan’s attorney general’s office is suing J&D Brenner Farms in Allegan County after environmental authorities discovered elevated amounts of dangerous bacteria in drainage into the Kalamazoo River. Attorney General Dana Nessel filed a lawsuit against Brenner in February, stating that the farm is polluting waterways with nutrients and diseases due to inappropriate animal waste management. The farm produces around 650 cows on 8 acres in the manner of a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO), but does not have the permission necessary of such operations. According to the state, the Brenner farm violates state water quality standards and creates a public nuisance.

In 2016, regulators informed Brenner that the farm housed and fed too many cows to operate without a pollutant discharge permit. State inspectors visited the farm in April 2017 and October 2019, and issued a violation notice after discovering “unlawful discharge of production area waste” into drains that go to the Rabbit River, which joins the Kalamazoo River near New Richmond. There are two waste storage lagoons on the farm, but the state claims Brenner has not submitted design documents, and the storage capacity is unclear.

In January 2023, state testing revealed unusually high levels of biological oxygen demand in a drain outfall, which may degrade water quality. Testing also revealed “extreme readings” for chlorides, suspended particles, turbidity, ammonia, nitrates, phosphorus, calcium, copper, magnesium, zinc, and acidic pH levels. In September and October 2023, watershed monitoring discovered E. coli in a drain near the farm at concentrations 14 times higher than the permissible state threshold of fecal coliform bacteria in surface water.

The state has urged Ingham Judge Wanda Stokes to order Brenner Farms to cease releasing nitrogen and pathogens, acquire and comply with a discharge permit, and pay civil penalties.

Vulto Creamery, a former cheesemaker in Walton, New York, has pleaded guilty to inducing the introduction of contaminated food into interstate commerce. The firm was connected to a Listeriosis epidemic in 2014 and 2017, when swabs obtained from the cheese production plant between July 2014 and February 2017 tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes, the organism that causes Listeriosis when consumed. The epidemic caused two fatalities and eight hospitalizations in four states: Connecticut, Florida, New York, and Vermont. The cheeses were dispersed around the country, with the majority sold in retailers in the northern and Mid-Atlantic states, California, Chicago, Portland, Oregon, and Washington, D.C. The FDA and CDC investigated and discovered that the company’s soft raw milk cheese was the cause of the incident.

In 2018, a federal judge ordered Vulto and his firm to stop producing ready-to-eat aged soft, semi-soft, and hard cheeses until they comply with food safety rules and take corrective procedures that satisfy the FDA. The government said that the cheeses were manufactured, packaged, or stored in unclean circumstances, and that the company never sought to identify the kind of bacterium or its source. The FDA also claimed that the corporation neglected to undertake microbiological testing on its completed product despite the discovery of Listeria on food contact surfaces.

On March 5, 2024, Vulto pleaded guilty in a Syracuse federal court to one misdemeanor count of causing the introduction of contaminated food into interstate commerce. According to US Attorney Freedman, the investigation and prosecution will hold the defendant and his company responsible for causing disease and death to customers via hazardous practices in an absolutely avoidable tragedy.

Attorney General Keith Ellison is suing Evergreen Acres’ owners, Keith Schaefer and his daughter Megan Hill, for allegedly taking over $3 million in pay from hundreds of employees while billing them for dismal living accommodations in barns and garages. The lawsuit compares Evergreen Acres’ working conditions to Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle,” with employees working 12-hour days six or seven days a week and being charged rent to sleep in the same bed as others doing opposite 12-hour stints.

Schaefer and Hill reject almost everything in the lawsuit, including the fact that many of their employees are undocumented immigrants, mostly from Mexico. They acknowledge to employing hundreds of workers over the last three years, many of whom were recruited from Mexico by present staff. They also deny consistently underpaying workers by up to 32 hours every two weeks and neglecting to pay overtime payments.

Ellison’s office claims that the accommodation workers were charged $70-$150 every two weeks was not appropriate for human habitation, and that Evergreen managers conducted unannounced inspections and withheld money from workers’ salaries for unclean quarters.

Dairy farms are among the most hazardous workplaces in the nation, since they depend on foreign labor and get minimal regulatory control. Ellison accused Evergreen Acres of abusing workers’ infirmities, claiming that many are from the Oaxaca area and speak Zapotec as their first language and Spanish as a second. Workers are required to do “physically demanding tasks that run the risk of death and serious injury.”

Walmart, America’s biggest retailer, has revealed plans to construct its third milk processing plant in Robinson, Texas, costing $350 million and slated to open in 2026. The facility will largely receive milk from Texas dairy farmers, after the company’s decision in October of last year to construct a second processing plant in Valdosta, Georgia. Walmart formerly bought its great-value branded milk from other dairy cooperatives, but it has subsequently created a network of milk processing factories to control the supply of price-sensitive food staples.

The new facility will deliver high-quality milk largely from Texas dairy farmers, demonstrating Walmart’s commitment to creating a more robust and transparent supply chain. Bruce Heckman, Walmart’s vice president of manufacturing, stated his delight about bringing high-quality milk to Texas and the neighboring states.

Leaders throughout Texas have weighed in on the retailer’s announcement, with Governor Greg Abbott expressing enthusiasm for the investment and job growth in McLennan County. Bert Echterling, Mayor of Robinson, lauded the city’s industrial sector and Walmart’s intention to establish itself in the region. Judge Scott M. Felton, Judge of McLennan County, praised the Robinson City Council, its city manager, Craig Lemin, and McLennan County Commissioner Jim Smith for collaborating with Walmart to guarantee required requirements were satisfied.

The factory will process and bottle a wide range of milk varieties, including gallon, half gallon, whole, 2%, 1%, skim, and 1% chocolate milk for Walmart’s Great Value and Sam’s Club’s Member’s Mark brands. The items will be sent to over 750 Walmart and Sam’s Club locations throughout the South, including Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, sections of Arkansas, and Mississippi.

Johne’s disease (JD) is a major worldwide economic burden caused by an infectious gastrointestinal sickness. The purpose of this research was to use current data to analyze the genetic features and phenotypic alterations of JD in Holstein cattle in the United States. The data set includes 365,980 Holstein cows from 1,048 herds that participated in a voluntary JD control program. Two protocol kits, Idexx Paratuberculosis Screening Ab Test (IDX) and Parachek® 2 (PCK), were used to test milk samples by ELISA. The overall prevalence of JD in US Holstein cattle was 4.72%. 25,000 animals were genotyped using 78,964 SNP markers. The posterior heritability estimates for JD susceptibility ranged from low to high. The average reliability of anticipated breeding values of JD susceptibility using single-step analysis was 0.18 (THR) to 0.22 (ssTHR) for IDX and 0.14 (THR to 0.18) for PCK. The projected genetic trends for JD susceptibility were negative and very significant (P-value < 0.01). There were little relationships between bulls’ estimated transmitting ability and economically significant traits such as milk yield, milk protein, milk fat, somatic cell score, and mastitis, indicating a non-overlapping genetic selection process with features in current genetic evaluations. The results indicate that including JD into national genetic evaluation programs might possibly lower the incidence rate.

Elle St. Pierre, a 29-year-old Vermont dairy farmer, has broken another American record in the 3,000 meters and became a world champion. She defeated two-time world champion Gudaf Tsegay and won the gold medal at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. St. Pierre’s winning time of 8 minutes, 20.87 seconds broke the previous national record by more over four seconds and propelled her to third position on the world’s all-time indoor rankings. Tsegay of Ethiopia holds the world record in the 5,000 meters.

St. Pierre, who gave birth to her baby in March and returned to race a few weeks later, broke her American record in the indoor mile at the 2024 Millrose Games on February 11. She is the most decorated athlete in the history of the University of New Hampshire, and she will compete in the 2021 Olympics for the United States. She currently farms with her husband in Montgomery, Vermont, and has been a champion for dairy products throughout her sporting career.

St. Pierre’s baby turns one on March 4, and she feels like a different person and athlete. She feels that the Wanamaker Mile triumph was “for all the moms out there.” St. Pierre is also the most decorated athlete in University of New Hampshire history, and she has promoted dairy products throughout her athletic career.

A man holds a tire during a protest of European farmers over price pressures, taxes and green regulation, on the day of an EU Agriculture Ministers meeting in Brussels, Belgium February 26, 2024. REUTERS/Yves Herman

Farmers throughout Europe have opposed the EU’s environmental rules, blaming low retail pricing and unfair competition from outside. The 27-nation EU has already compromised several of its Green Deal environmental measures, deleting a commitment to reduce agriculture emissions from its 2040 climate roadmap. However, farmers are seeking more. They claim that the EU is not listening to their requests for fair income, since they produce food but do not earn a livelihood owing to free trade agreements, deregulation, and prices that are lower than the cost of production.

Protesters in Brussels tossed bottles at police, as over 900 tractors clogged portions of the Belgian city. Farmers from all throughout Spain asked the EU in Madrid to relax restrictions and remove certain modifications to its Common Agriculture Policy (CAP), which includes subsidies and other programs. They are tired of the bureaucracy and prefer to work in the field during the day and deal with paperwork at night.

In Poland, farmers are furious about cheap imports from non-EU. Ukraine has closed the A2 highway at a border crossing with Germany. As Ukraine confronts a Russian invasion, the EU agreed two years ago to remove taxes on its food exports. The EU is looking for a more efficient approach to ensure that Ukrainian agricultural goods reach their usual markets outside the EU. The agricultural ministers also discussed a fresh set of suggestions to alleviate financial strains on European farmers, such as reducing farm inspections and exempting small farms from some environmental rules. They requested the European Commission, the EU’s executive, to offer more ambitious recommendations for reducing red tape.

Cem Ozdemir, German Agriculture Minister, said that the EU must guarantee that farmers can make a fair living if they choose biodiversity and green initiatives. He described present EU agriculture policy as a “bureaucracy monster.” The EU has previously removed a goal to decrease agricultural emissions from its 2040 climate roadmap, repealed a regulation to minimize pesticides, and postponed a target for farmers to leave some land fallow to boost biodiversity.

At the Madrid demonstration, several farmers said that they just wanted to be able to use the same pesticides as colleagues outside the EU whose products are imported into the union. Grievances differ per nation, and not all farmers want for an end to green standards.

Since announcing its Farm to Fork Strategy, the European Commission has been striving to reform animal welfare regulations. However, some Member States have implemented their own national policies, such as the culling of male chicks after birth, resulting in an unequal degree of animal welfare among the Member States. In response, the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) surveyed 8,000 individuals in eight countries to assess consumer demand for enhanced animal welfare rules in meat and fish. Initial data indicate that customers desire improved animal welfare and corresponding labeling, but are they ready to pay for it?

Almost 90% of consumers in the EU favor new legislation to enhance the wellbeing of farmed animals, such as increasing living space and prohibiting cage systems. Consumers also want to learn more about how farmed animals are raised and want reliable labeling. 72% of respondents wanted the method of production marking to be applied to items other than eggs.

Consumers also have poor faith in firms’ promises about animal welfare, with 84% responding adversely to ‘welfare-washing’, in which operators pretend to have greater animal welfare standards than they really do. Three out of four customers want to know more about how animals were grown for items like meat and dairy because they believe they don’t know enough. Industry should consider hard before indulging in ‘animal welfare-washing’, since it might permanently damage their companies’ image.

In actuality, upgrading animal welfare standards is not inexpensive, thus the issue becomes: who should pay for it? 74% of poll respondents felt the EU should assist farmers with funding to adopt better welfare criteria. BEUC emphasized that the EU and national governments must guarantee that the costs of this transformation are appropriately distributed throughout the value chain and not borne only by consumers.

Cell-cultivated meat, a lab-grown protein with animal byproducts but no murdered animals, is now the industry standard. In 2013, Dutch scientist Mark Post from Maastricht University in the Netherlands created the first lab-grown beef product for human consumption. Today, over 150 firms worldwide offer cell-cultured beef, including 43 in the United States. However, the product is now prohibited in the Netherlands and Europe, with only the United States, Singapore, and a few other countries permitting cell-cultured beef sales to the public.

The USDA permits fake meat to be labeled as “cell cultured meat” or “cell cultivated meat.” Sandra Eskin, Deputy Undersecretary for Food Safety, said new federal labeling guidelines will be issued shortly, and many states are also developing laws for how lab-grown meats may be tagged and marketed in their territories. Some corporations want to utilize only “cultivated” meat, while others choose “fake meat,” “imitation meat,” “clean meat,” “manufactured meat,” and “cell-based meat.”

The Fair Foods Act, proposed in Congress earlier this year, would require stronger labeling for grown meat. Madeline Cohen, a senior regulatory attorney at The Good Food Institute, feels that the cultured meat sector should be allowed to use common phrases that customers like as long as they are true and not deceptive. Labels should also inform customers about the advantages of cell-cultured meat and how to utilize it. As regulatory agencies explore labeling requirements, she feels it is critical to maintain a fair playing field and prevent the government from selecting winners and losers in the marketplace.

Consumer Reports’ Director of Food Policy, Brian Roholm, feels that labeling should be straightforward. While eliminating the word “cell” may go too far, he is OK with the phrase “cell cultivated meat.” He is concerned, however, that labels may exclude critical manufacturing process information for customers. For example, when cultured cell chicken is formed, chicken cell lines are immersed in a medium containing fetal bovine serum. An anti-clumping substance, previously authorized by the FDA as a stool softener, is added. Some goods may also include components from cattle and pigs.

Despite enormous expenditures in cell-cultured meat, the business is unlikely to compete with conventional agriculture in the next decades. The method of producing lab-grown meat is continually evolving, and even with advancements, no one has worked out how to disseminate produced meat on a significant scale.

RaboResearch announces the release of the North American Agribusiness Review, an assessment of market conditions and developments in North American agribusiness. The report’s main highlights are summarized here. Click here to see the whole report.

December milk production declined 0.3%, marking the sixth straight month of lower year-over-year output.

The decrease was caused by fewer cows and a modest yield gain of 0.1%.

consistent with current trends. Less milk was projected in recent months, since on-farm margins remained low until the end of the year. Total 2023 output increased little from the previous year and remained constant on a percentage basis.

Cow numbers fell by 1,000 this month, as herd size continued to shrink. However, November’s head count was reduced down by 2,000, resulting in a 3,000-cow reduction from report to report. It dipped to 9.357 million head, its lowest level since December 2019. The herd is 39,000 head less than a year earlier, and it is down 87,000 head from its latest high in March.

Milk per cow increased by 0.1% in December, after two consecutive months of decline. Yield increased by just 0.1% each year, far lower than the long-term average of 1% growth.

Total cheese output increased by 0.9% in December, the third straight year-on-year increase and the biggest since January 2023. Output in 2023 increased by 0.3% compared to 2022. While the last three months of the year were strong, cheese output decreased in five separate months last year. Total cheese stockpiles increased slightly in December, up 6 million pounds, or 0.4%, from November, marking the first monthly gain since August.

Butter output increased by 4.4% in December, the most since July and a reversal of November’s 3.3% decline. Output is increasing seasonally as milk output and cream availability rises during the spring flush. All areas rose year on year, although the west had the greatest growth, rising 7.7%.

However, December butter stockpiles declined by 13.1 million pounds, or 6.2%, reaching their lowest level since December 2021. It was the highest December inventory decline in 20 years, another optimistic data point that should keep the butter price sustained this year as supply stays limited.

Combined nonfat dry milk/skim milk powder production declined 15.9% year on year in December, marking the sixth consecutive month of declining output. Stocks fell for the ninth straight month. At 203.3 million pounds, stockpiles were at their lowest level since November 2015.

Total exports ended 2023 in a similar pattern to the previous year, with volumes falling short of the record levels reached in 2022. Total dairy exports fell 5% year on year in December, while exports for the calendar year 2023 fell 7%. Only WPC80 and lactose shipments increased in 2023, with all other dairy products losing ground compared to 2022. Cheese exports ended the year on a high note, rising 4% in November and 1% in December, although the increases were mostly driven by sustained strong shipments to Mexico.

The year-on-year dairy consumer price index decreased for the fourth consecutive month in December, with dairy product price deflation looming as milk prices fall into 2023.

The All-American Dairy Show announced judges for the 2024 All-American and Premier National Junior.  The show will be held September 14-18, 2024 in Harrisburg, PA.

Sean Johnson
AADS Ayrshire

Jake Hushon
AADS Brown Swiss & PNJS Milking Shorthorn

Brian Schnebley
AADS Guernsey & PNJS Ayrshire

Ryan Krohlow
AADS Holstein & PNJS Guernsey

Alan Kruse
AADS Associate Holstein

Terri Packard
AADS Jersey and PNJS Red & White

Phil Topp
AADS Milking Shorthorn & PNJS Holstein

Steve Wagner
AADS Red & White and PNJS Jersey

The school cafeteria experience has altered dramatically in recent years, with a 14 million meal difference between breakfast and lunch. This is owing to the abundance of beverage alternatives available, which has influenced milk intake. Milk accounts for just 3.5% of the 3,500 weekly beverage products sold each shop, whereas other drinks such as soda, juice, tea, and bottled water have lost market share over the previous three decades.

To remain relevant with children, the National Dairy Council has teamed with Chartwells K12, an organization that provides over 2 million meals each day in over 7,000 school districts. Chartwells seeks to help kids leave cafeterias happier and healthier by providing nutritious dishes, including dairy. The relationship is consistent with the checkoff approach, which aims to improve the school milk experience, modernize nutrition instruction, and increase student access to breakfast.

Last year, the first solid evidence that giving kids what they want was smoothies. According to Technomic, Gen Z prefers fruit smoothies above energy drinks, flavored water, juices, and soft drinks. A pilot test in 130 Chartwells schools across 15 states resulted in higher milk and yogurt consumption rates. Chartwells began offering its smoothie program to all of its districts at the start of the school year, and the response has been great.

Furthermore, study revealed a considerable interest in hot chocolate milk, a dairy-friendly category with a worldwide market value of $3.8 billion in 2022 and projected to expand to $5.77 billion by 2030. A new trial with 58 schools in which genuine chocolate milk with the same 13 vital nutrients as white milk is served hot with toppings like cinnamon and peppermint has received a positive response, with children loving it to the last drop.

The concept of selling specialized drinks with dairy appeals to today’s evolving customer, and it is an excellent method to attract more children to the category and cafeteria. The checkoff demonstrates the importance of staying current and aligning with trends that are important to children. This is due to creative ideas and excellent partners such as Chartwells.

Danone is divesting its Russian company, which has been controlled by the Russian government agency Rosimushestvo since July 2023. Vamin Tatarstan, a Russian corporation, is preparing to purchase Danone’s Russia division for 17.7 billion roubles (US$186 million). Danone will get 10 billion roubles (US$105 million) for its shares, with the remainder used to settle debt inside the Russian company. Danone took a significant write-down of around €700 million (US$757 million) on its Russian business after the seizure by Russian authorities. According to the Danone press office, Danone has retained legal ownership of the assets since the seizure, but the business has lost managerial control and will deconsolidate its EDP Russia subsidiaries beginning in July 2023. According to a source in the Russian dairy business, the government agency has been nominated as an intermediate stakeholder in Danone assets, thus the sale is still legally conceivable. There may be numerous choices for selling: fully to a specialist player like Vamin or in pieces. Moscow requires at least a 50% discount on all overseas agreements once the Russian government’s chosen advisors evaluate the firm. Danone has promised to offer assistance until the end of July next year to enable the continued operation of its former Russian company.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the launch of the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program for 2024, which will provide risk management to dairy farmers. Producers may join from February 28 to April 29, 2024, with payments beginning as early as March 4. The Farm Service Agency (FSA) changed DMC rules to extend calendar-year coverage retroactively to January 1, 2024. Eligible dairy enterprises may make a one-time change to their existing production history by merging supplementary and DMC production data. Producers may choose several levels of coverage, including a free option at the catastrophic $4 margin level. Although the program is optional, participating dairy producers will receive more than $1.2 billion in payouts by 2023.

Checkoff-founded GENYOUth teamed with the Dairy Council of Nevada, the NFL and other partners to increase access to and participation in healthy school meals by providing grants for Grab and Go school meal equipment packages, including milk coolers and mobile meal carts, for 73 high-need Nevada schools. 

Before each Super Bowl, state and regional checkoff teams collaborate with GENYOUth and purpose-minded partners on GENYOUth’s Super School Meals community initiative to improve the student health and wellness experience, including increased dairy consumption. This year’s program focused on Super Bowl host market Las Vegas and throughout Nevada.

The culmination of Super School Meals was celebrated during an event on Feb. 8 at West Preparatory Academy in Las Vegas, where 150 students joined former NFL players, Clark County School District officials and various community leaders.

“Dairy farmers in Nevada and throughout the nation are committed year-round to the health and well-being of our nation’s children,” said Tammy Baker, general manager of the Dairy Council of Nevada. “We are proud to partner with GENYOUth and others on Super School Meals to grow school meal participation and to provide equitable access to nutritious dairy products.”

The effort is expected to benefit 40,000 students by increasing access to nearly 11 million school meals.

“One in five children in Nevada is food insecure, and over 30 million students nationwide rely on school meals for a significant portion of their daily nutrition,” said GENYOUth CEO Ann Marie Krautheim, who is also a registered dietitian. “Often, school meals may be the only healthy nutrition a student receives on some days.

“Grab and Go meal equipment is critical to increasing meal access and participation, especially for school breakfast. Super School Meals is fostering nutrition security among Nevada youth. I am grateful to our committed partners for stepping up to help tackle youth food insecurity in Nevada.”

GENYOUth, supported by several sponsors, continued its efforts to help end student hunger with the Taste of the NFL, the Super Bowl’s largest philanthropic event. Net proceeds from the Feb. 10 event will benefit schools in Nevada and the nation.

For information on GENYOUth and Super School Meals, visit www.GENOUthNow.org. To learn more about the dairy checkoff, visit www.usdairy.com.

Authorities in the United States are looking into a multi-state E. coli incident after ten individuals in four states fell sick. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) determined that ten bacterial samples matched on a national database, indicating that they were likely infected from the same source. Six of the eight patients contacted by state and local public health authorities said that they had ingested raw cheddar cheese manufactured by Raw Farm LLC before to falling sick. The FDA and CDC contacted the manufacturer due to fears that the cheese may have been the cause of the sickness.

The CDC noted that although just 10 individuals have been connected to the epidemic so far, the total number of impacted customers might be significantly higher since most people who get unwell recover without medical attention. Four of the ten persons related to the epidemic, four of whom were hospitalized, reported severe stomach pains, diarrhea, and vomiting. Without therapy, recovery takes 5 to 7 days, although some patients have renal difficulties and need to be hospitalized. Raw Farm has recalled various goods, including Raw Farm-branded cheddar, and has recommended customers not to consume any Raw Farm-branded raw cheddar cheese, to discard or return previously bought items, and to sanitize any surfaces that may have come into contact with the cheese.

As customers grow more conscious of a product’s carbon impact, dairy producers are shifting their attention to more sustainable techniques. This shift in emphasis is motivated by changes in consumer expectations and the need for dairy supply chain partners to collaborate more closely along the path from farm to fridge. Dairy processors, such as Agropur, are attempting to make dairy farms more sustainable by acting as intermediaries between farmers and manufacturers.

Customers are asking processors for more information about a farm’s carbon impact and how to reduce it. Major food producers are worried about the quantity of carbon emitted into the environment, which is a question that their customers are asking. Farmers are engaged in sustainability, and when consumers inquire about programs to promote sustainability, the discourse has been positive.

Large food producers aim to profit from farmers’ carbon credits, turning to processors such as Agropur and Valley Queen for assistance. Companies have roadmaps for where they want to go with their carbon footprint and ask Agropur to assist farmers in meeting various emissions reduction objectives via customized programs. Valley Queen, in conjunction with Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, undertook a pilot study on two dairy farms to assess a crop’s carbon impact from seed planting to milk delivery at the processing facility. Many dairy farms are already in the carbon business, utilizing a biodigester to transfer biogas to a pipeline and then selling the credits.

The USDA’s 2022 Census of Agriculture revealed a drop in farm numbers, rising costs, and an aging average American farmer. However, the report highlighted the dairy industry’s consolidation, with 24,082 farms reporting off-farm milk sales in 2022, a 38.7% decrease from 39,303 in 2017. According to the census, approximately 65% of U.S. dairy cows are now found on operations with more than 1,000 head, a 10% increase from 2017. Furthermore, 6.5% of cows were found on operations with fewer than 100 head in 2022, a decrease from 12.7% in 2017.

Milk production is stable to slightly higher in most parts of the country, with mild winter weather promoting seasonal growth in milk volumes. However, numerous market stakeholders report that output is lower than last year due to producer exits and reductions over the last 12 months. In the Central region, spot milk availability is much lower than it was in 2023, with prices ranging from $10 to $2 under Class. Cheesemakers have expressed a desire to increase processing to build inventories ahead of the spring holidays, but labor disputes at some plants have resulted in slower production schedules. Retail demand varies across the country, with some regions performing better than others.

The spot Cheddar block market did not acknowledge it as prices eroded during the second half of the week. Blocks finished the week at $1.48/lb., down 9¢ from last Friday as 16 loads traded hands. Meanwhile, barrel prices rose steadily, reaching a new high for the year at $1.6075/lb. This week’s cheese market dynamics have pushed the inverted block barrel spread to 12.75¢, the highest gap since June 2023.

The whey market has been subdued in recent days, with the CME spot dry whey market ending Friday’s trade unchanged at 53¢ per pound. Slower-than-expected cheese production has reduced the whey stream, tightening the whey market at the edges. Class IV markets moved in opposite directions this week, with butter gaining ground and nonfat dry milk (NDM) losing ground. The spot butter market gained traction this week, with prices reaching $2.75/lb. on Friday, up 6¢ from the previous week.

Feed and grain markets continued to fall this week, as agricultural economists and stakeholders gathered for the USDA’s annual Outlook Forum. Plentiful supply expectations and healthy inventory levels pushed grain markets lower, which will be good news for dairy producers looking for additional feed cost savings. On Friday, MAR23 corn settled at $4.165/bu., down 14¢ from Monday, and MAR23 soybean meal took a more modest dip to $345.60/ton.

Original Report At: https://www.jacoby.com/market-report/usda-unveils-2022-agriculture-census-findings/

Michael Dykes, D.V.M., president and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), released the following statement today on the U.S. agricultural export data for calendar year 2023 released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“The 2023 agricultural export data released today by USDA is a mixed bag for U.S. dairy. While U.S. agriculture is experiencing a trade imbalance, U.S. dairy is pleased to be an outlier enjoying a sizeable trade surplus. However, total U.S. dairy export value fell by $1.5 billion while volume declined by 7% in 2023, underscoring a clear need for U.S. trade officials to focus on creating new, preferential market opportunities for American producers and food exporters while holding trade partners accountable to rules and agreements. For example, exports to Canada are nowhere close to the projections promised U.S. dairy in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement due to consistent barriers erected by the Government of Canada that prevent American exporters from filling their tariff quotas. Further, demand remains soft in key markets such as China and Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia, illustrating the need for a strategic approach to trade with markets in the Asia Pacific region. Overall, U.S. dairy exports performed better than most other commodities, but we are not meeting our capabilities. U.S. dairy boasts the lowest carbon intensity footprint globally, remains competitively priced and sets quality standards worldwide. However, the lack of export opportunities hampers our ability to leverage these strengths.

“U.S. dairy relies on export growth to capture the growing productivity of U.S. dairy farmers. Without exports, we risk stagnation, jeopardizing investments, jobs, and future competitiveness in the global marketplace. IDFA urges members of Congress and the Administration to come together on a realistic trade agenda that prioritizes preferential access for U.S. dairy exports.”  

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The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), Washington, D.C., represents the nation’s dairy manufacturing and marketing industry, which supports more than 3.2 million jobs that generate $49 billion in direct wages and $794 billion in overall economic impact. IDFA’s diverse membership ranges from multinational organizations to single-plant companies, from dairy companies and cooperatives to food retailers and suppliers, all on the cutting edge of innovation and sustainable business practices. Together, they represent most of the milk, cheese, ice cream, yogurt and cultured products, and dairy ingredients produced and marketed in the United States and sold throughout the world. Delicious, safe and nutritious, dairy foods offer unparalleled health and consumer benefits to people of all ages.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced new dairy and poultry regulations during a speech at the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) conference. The regulations seek to establish transparency and accountability throughout the dairy supply chain by prohibiting contract changes without agreement and addressing issues of exclusivity and notice periods. They plan to introduce clearer pricing terms and a system for farmers to verify variable price calculations.

The legislation will include an enforcement mechanism, with the secretary of state empowered to impose significant financial penalties on those who violate the rules. The news follows more than a decade of campaigning by the NFU and other UK farming unions to expose unfair practices and abuses of power in the dairy supply chain.

Proposals for the new legislation were submitted last summer, while details about the enforcement mechanism were still being worked out. NFU diary chair Michael Oakes explained that farmers should understand what influences their prices, and that there were no non-exclusive contracts in the UK dairy supply chain at the time. Similar contract regulations for the pig sector will be introduced later in 2024.

Sunak announced grants totaling approximately £427 million for farmers, including £220 million for technology and productivity programs that provide access to new equipment such as automation gear to reduce reliance on foreign workers. Increases in management payments for the Sustainable Farming Incentive were also announced.

Finally, at the next Farm to Fork Summit in the spring, the UK government plans to release an annual food security index that will capture and highlight key data required to monitor current levels of food security.

The owner of a dairy company that caused a Listeria outbreak in Austria faces more than a year in prison. The head of Käserei Gloggnitz was sentenced to 13 months in prison this week. According to media reports, the 39-year-old was charged with several counts but denied the allegations, and the verdict was not final.

A Listeria outbreak from 2020 to 2022 resulted in ten cases and at least three deaths.

Käserei Gloggnitz experienced financial difficulties in 2022, prompting the opening of insolvency proceedings, and the plant was ordered to be closed in 2023.

Additional allegations will be heard in mid-March at the Regional Court of Wiener Neustadt, where several other witnesses will be questioned.

In a January 2023 audit, DG Sante reviewed a file from the dairy plant linked to the outbreak. Käserei Gloggnitz had a poor compliance record, and an inspection in 2020 revealed several significant flaws. An inspection one year later yielded equally serious results.

However, those findings did not result in increased inspection frequency or enforcement until an epidemiological link between infections and the company was established in the autumn of 2022, when authorities ordered that production be halted.

There were six women and three men aged 29 to 82, as well as a newborn baby. The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) confirmed that illnesses occurred in Vienna.

Käserei Gloggnitz recalled all kajmak, drinking yogurt, and cream cheese products in September 2022 due to a possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Cajmak is a type of cheese.

Officials discovered Listeria that matched the outbreak strain in three environmental samples collected from the company in Lower Austria. The outbreak strain was also found in the food it produced.

The American dairy sector is facing a scarcity of replacement heifers, which is the technique of crossbreeding dairy cows with beef cattle to produce progeny for both milk and meat. This approach has gained favor among dairy producers looking to diversify their income sources, but it may have unexpected effects, such as the depletion of replacement heifers in the dairy herd.

A 1,000-cow dairy that produces crossbred bull calves can expect to earn about $100,000 more in 2024 than it would sell Holstein bull calves. High beef calf prices are sending a clear signal to the dairy industry to make more beef calves and fewer dairy heifers.

For six consecutive years, dairy heifer inventories have declined. The USDA cut its previous estimate for the number of dairy heifers available on January 1, 2023, to 8.3% fewer than it had at the start of 2022. On January 1, 2023, there were 4.059 million dairy heifers, the smallest heifer inventory in 20 years. The USDA also slashed its estimate of heifers expected to calve and enter the milk-cow herd in 2023, with 7% fewer heifers ready to enter the milk herd at the start of last year. Mature heifer inventories are also expected to decline 1% this year.

Dairy herd expansion is unlikely to accelerate owing to high demand for young animals and a dairy heifer shortage. For at least 18 months, the cattle industry will be without young animals. High beef calf prices are driving the dairy industry to produce more beef calves and fewer dairy heifers.

Addressing the heifer deficit in the American dairy sector requires a diversified strategy. While beef-on-dairy may increase variety and profitability, dairy producers must carefully evaluate the long-term effects on herd genetics and sustainability. Collaboration among dairy farmers, breed organizations, and industry stakeholders is critical in developing policies that balance the need for milk and meat production while guaranteeing the dairy sector’s sustainability for future generations.

Dairy leaders are pushing for dairy farmers in the United States as the Federal Milk Marketing Order (FMMO) hearings continue. The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) takes a broader strategy, covering all aspects of the sector while revising Class I differentials and making concessions. Mike Brown, chief economist for the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), feels that the dairy business has fundamentally altered since 2008, and that present FMMO pricing formulae need to be updated to reflect new market dynamics.

The USDA is reviewing almost 12,000 pages of testimony as it develops its proposal for FMMO modernization. Peter Vitaliano, NMPF’s vice president for economic strategy and market research, claimed that neither party will receive all they want, but the end outcome will be a market improvement over what we now have. Greg Doud, president and CEO of NMPF, said that the current formula has cost dairy farmers around 1.2 billion dollars and should be restored back to the original ‘higher-of’ system, which suited farmers best.

Stakeholders submitted fourteen suggestions to USDA for review, 21 of which were selected for inclusion in the hearing process. Two IDFA proposals have been included in the hearing process: one requesting that USDA update make allowances, which are woefully out of date after nearly 20 years of rising manufacturing costs, and a second proposal on Class I milk pricing, which puts more dollars in dairy farmers’ pockets than they would receive under the ‘higher of’ mover while allowing dairy processors to effectively manage price risk.

The following stages involve interested parties submitting a correction by 4:30 ET on April 1. The USDA is anticipated to release a proposed judgment by June 30.