Agriculture

Nearly half of all “new” milk produced in this country over the last 13 years has gone to markets beyond our borders. Since 2004, the expansion in U.S. dairy exports alone added an average of $1.25 per hundredweight per year to U.S. farm milk prices. That has meant an additional $36 billion in milk revenues since 2004. In an industry where a few percentage points can make the difference between breaking even and going broke, that is a very big deal. Export gains have lent critical support to U.S. milk production growth and the expansion of the entire U.S. [node:read-more:link]

Once a rarity on global dinner tables, salmon is a staple today, thanks to a fish farming industry that has expanded at breakneck speed in recent decades, including in Norway, where in 2016 around 1.18 million metric tons were produced. [node:read-more:link]

According to a new FDA report, 98% of domestic and 90% of imported foods tested in FY 2015 were compliant with federal pesticide residue limits. The report covers fiscal year 2015 (Oct. 1, 2014 through Sept. 30, 2015), during which the levels of pesticide chemical residues in or on food generally remained well below established federal tolerances, or EPA limits, the report states. Additionally, no pesticide chemical residues were found in 49.8% of the domestic and 56.8% of the imported human food samples analyzed. [node:read-more:link]

H.R. [node:read-more:link]

Beginning Jan. 1, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation’s new rule will prohibit many applications within a quarter-mile of public K-12 schools and licensed day care facilities from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. [node:read-more:link]

A recent survey by researchers identified livestock-associated meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or LA-MRSA, in human MRSA samples. The death of four people in 2014 from LA-MRSA CC398 in Denmark attracted media and scientist attention regarding the risk of LA-MRSA in pigs and humans. [node:read-more:link]

George Mueller at Willow Bend farms says grain is costing more and people just aren't buying milk like they used to. Those are some of the factors that are driving up their cost to buy milk. The price to produce milk per hundred pounds has gone up $1.30 since last August.However, the hope is that you, as customers won't be paying more. The report had some people concerned, but Mueller says this shouldn’t hit you too hard. [node:read-more:link]

Dairy Farmers of America purchased Bridgeton-based Cumberland Dairy, an 85-year-old family-owned business that processes ultra-pasteurized dairy products.The dairy company, which started as a small milk plant behind the founder Charles Catalana’s home, will continue to operate under its current name and the 180 employees who work for the dairy will remain employed. [node:read-more:link]

Much has been noted in the past couple years about the state of the dairy industry in Wisconsin. With news stories popping up about exports declining and farms losing a home for their milk, let’s take a macro look at what is causing the past, current and short-term future market conditions. While the milk market faces excessive supply, there is some positivity on the horizon. The U.S. Dollar is the weakest it has been against the Euro since early 2015 and exporters are now starting to move supplies to foreign buyers. The U.S. [node:read-more:link]

A USDA-inspected processor in North Carolina serving producers of pasture-raised poultry in six states has suspended operations, citing a lack of capital. Cool Hand Meats of Marion, N.C., began as the Foothills Pilot Plant with funding from a patchwork of USDA, state and local sources before becoming a for-profit business on March 1, said owner Amanda Carter, who also served as general manager of the Foothills project for four years.About $1.2 million was invested over the years with the goal of creating a model for-profit meat-packing plant that would serve local independent farmers. [node:read-more:link]