Dairy Sales at Retail Finish Strong in 2020
2020 closed on a positive note across all dairy products at retail with categories purchased at higher rates in 2020 than 2019.

  • Milk volume rose at retail by 2% in 2020 compared to 2019, reversing previous years of decline. In the Northeast, 2020 milk volume at retail was up 2.4%.

  • Cheese volume rose at retail by 13% in 2020 compared to 2019; December volume was up over 7.5%. In the Northeast, 2020 cheese volume at retail was up 12.6%.

  • Yogurt volume rose at retail by 4% in 2020 compared to 2019, overturning the previous year’s downturn. In the Northeast, 2020 yogurt volume at retail was only up 0.1%, which is different from the national trend.
U.S. Dairy Export Council On-Pace to Export More than 2 Million Tons of Milk Solids in 2020
In 2020, the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) paved the way for members to ship U.S. milk to nations around the globe in the form of cheese, ingredients and other dairy products. Through 11 months, USDEC is on-pace to export more than 2 million tons of milk solids for the first time ever. That milestone means more U.S. milk is being shipped across our borders than ever before.
Increasing School Meal Participation
USDA flexibilities allow schools to provide free meals to all kids learning remotely and in-person under 18 years, regardless of income, through June 30th, 2021. Some school districts are seeing increases in participation, but most are seeing significant decreases from this time last year. A recent report from the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) shows that VT and NH were among the few states that saw an increase in school meal participation in April 2020 vs April 2019.

New England Dairy continues to focus on increasing school meal participation and supporting schools in serving milk and dairy foods safely.

  • School Meal Social Media Campaign: In December we promoted free school meals in English and Spanish through a social media ad campaign on Facebook and Instagram (ad pictured above). The ads reached over 36,000 CT parents of school aged children with over 88,000 impressions. We will run similar campaigns targeting parents of school age children across our region early in 2021.

  • Dairy on the Go Grant: We recently offered the opportunity for all schools in New England to apply for a Dairy on the Go Grant to support equipment needed to serve dairy creatively with grab and go programs (hot chocolate milk, smoothies, yogurt parfaits, etc.). Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis.
Dietary Guidelines Reinforce Dairy’s Role in Healthy Dietary Patterns
On December 29, 2020, U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). Dairy was recognized throughout the DGAs as a core, nutrient-dense element of healthy dietary patterns that helps Americans achieve and maintain good health while reducing the risk of chronic disease throughout life.

Federal feeding programs (school lunch and breakfast, WIC, SNAP, Child & Adult Care and summer feeding) are based on the current Dietary Guidelines. In 2019, these programs distributed over 12 billion pounds of dairy.

For More Information:
  • Learn more on our website about how dairy continues to play a vital role in dietary guidance through the DGAs
  • Sign up to watch the recording of American Dairy Association North East's recent webinar about dairy's role in the new DGAs.
Meet Your New England Dairy Staff

Erin is responsible for coordinating our youth wellness programs with a focus on increasing dairy sales in schools and building trust with future consumers. Erin has been at NED for 10 years.

Diane manages our region’s Fuel Up to Play 60 program outreach, provides school nutrition assistance, and manages health professional and media partnerships. Diane has been at NED for 34 years.
New England Dairy | 1034 Commonwealth Ave. | Boston, MA 02215 | NewEnglandDairy.com