24 April 2025

In this Issue:

• Headlines
• GAC & GFVGA Joint Webinar on Georgia Legislative Session
• Pesticide Credits Available at May Cattlemen's Round Up
• The State of the Dairy Industry Series
• Dairy Producers Encouraged to Help UGA with Dairy Tech Survey
• April Dairy Market Report
• Ag Clean Day for Pesticide Disposal
• FO 6&7 Market Information Bulletin
• GMP Classifieds
• Upcoming Events

Headlines

articles and press releases of interest this week

• Whole Milk Experiment Finds Students Want a Choice at Lunchtime
• Trump Faces Imposing Timeline to Broker 75 Trade Deals in Less than 90 Days
• FDA Suspends Milk Quality Tests Amid Workforce Cuts
• Kennedy Plans to Remove Artificial Dyes from Food and Drinks by End of Next Year
• Dairy Industry Pledges to Remove Artificial Food Coloring in School Meals
• Feds Raid Biggest Dairy Farm in Vermont, Arrest Migrant Workers
• Rollins: USDA Downsizing Plan Due in May, Could Include Consolidation
• Milk Output Is on the Rise
• Chobani Breaks Ground on $1.2B New York Plant

Legislative Session Wrap-Up Webinar

Did you miss Georgia Farm Bureau’s webinar last week discussing all the important ag-related bills that were passed and debated this year? The Georgia Agribusiness Council and Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association are hosting a webinar with the House and Senate Ag Committee Chairs Robert Dickey & Russ Goodman as well as Sens. Drew Echols and Sam Watson. All four legislators are full-time farmers and will discuss a variety of topics from truck weights to pesticides to property taxes.

Date: May 14, 2025

Time: 1:00 PM

Where: ZOOM (Register Below)

Register HERE.

Pesticide Credit Opportunity at GCA Roundup Meeting: Forage Focused

The Georgia Cattlemen’s Association is hosting a workshop in Moultrie, GA titled “Building Biosecurity Plans to Combat Invasive Weeds in Forage Systems.” The all-day event is open to GCA members and prospective members and will include up to 2 hours of Pesticide CEUs available to participants. Featuring presentations by UGA’s Dr. Lisa Baxter and Dr. Will Secor and a tram tour of the forage research paddocks at Sunbelt Ag Expo, this program is designed to give livestock producers the tools they need to effectively combat weeds in their forage systems.

All attendees must RSVP by May 4, 2025 at www.georgiacattlemen.org under the “Events” tab. It costs $20 to attend. You can also register by scanning the QR code below.

The State of the U.S. Dairy Industry

A three-part webinar series is now available, giving members access to insights from a comprehensive analysis on the state of the U.S. dairy industry. Developed by Dairy Management Inc. in collaboration with NMPF, the U.S. Dairy Export Council and McCully Consulting, the series highlights key findings and emerging trends shaping the future of the U.S. dairy sector. 

The analysis, which features extensive input from NMPF’s economics team, examines the wide-reaching impacts of more than $8 billion in new and expanding U.S. dairy processing capacity. This wave of investment reflects strong optimism in dairy’s future but also signals major changes across the supply chain that will directly affect dairy farmers, cooperatives, processors and other industry stakeholders. 

To help members make sense of these changes, NMPF’s Senior Vice President of Economic Policy and Market Research, Will Loux, joined industry analyst Mike McCully for a three-part webinar series: 

• U.S. Milk Production Outlook
• Dairy Product Outlook
• Global Market Outlook 

The series offers expert analysis to help viewers better understand the economic forces shaping the industry and prepare for the opportunities and challenges ahead.

Help UGA Complete "Dairy Technology" Survey Today

UGA College of Ag Animal Dairy Science is conducting a producer survey to identify interest, challenges, accessibility, and effectiveness of technology on dairy farms in the Southeast.

This less than 10 minute survey will help UGA faculty identify future research opportunities and develop educational program.

Take the Dairy Technology Survey HERE





April Dairy Market Report

The following is an excerpt of the April Dairy Market Report from National Milk Producers Federation and DMI. 

February fluid milk sales were 1.3% higher than a year earlier when adjusted for leap year, while revised January numbers from USDA show the national milk cow herd was 66,000 head larger than in January 2024. Preliminary February numbers showed an annual gain of 62,000 head and a leap year-adjusted 1% increase U.S. milk production.

The four monthly NDPSR dairy product survey prices, and consequently the Class III and Class IV prices, were all lower in March from a month earlier. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all items set a new record in March, as it usually does, but it was just 2.4% higher than a year earlier, indicating a relative cooling of overall retail price inflation by that common yardstick. The March CPIs for most of the key dairy products reported stayed measurably below the high levels they attained in recent years. The U.S. average all-milk price dropped by $0.50/cwt from January to $23.60/cwt in February, and the Dairy Margin Coverage margin dropped by $0.73/cwt, to $13.12/cwt.

Read the full report with milk production figures, export totals, utilization figures HERE.





Ag Clean Day - May 13

The Georgia Department of Agriculture will be hosting a pesticide clean day on May 13th, 2025 at St. Ives Country Club in Johns Creek, GA. This program gives everyone an opportunity to discard old, unusable, or canceled pesticides. No fees are charged for participation, and all accepted materials will be turned over to a hazardous waste contractor for disposal.

To participate, fill out this form and email it to Brad Baker (brad.baker@agr.georgia.gov) by May 8, 2025.

*Chemical and Pesticide Dealers can also bring bulk quantities of pesticides for a fee. Contact Brad Baker for more information*

Market Information Bulletin for FO & 7

The Federal Order 6 & 7 Market Administrator’s Market Information Bulletin was recently released with market summaries for the Florida and Southeast orders and updated dairy forecasts for 2025 from the USDA Economic Research Service.

Highlights include:

• 2025 dairy herd is forecast at 9.405 million head - 25,000 head higher than the previous month’s projection
• Anticipated higher milk yields have increased the milk per cow forecast to 24,130 pounds per head for 2025.
• All milk price forecast for 2025 is $21.10/cwt - down $0.50/cwt from last month’s forecast
• Class I utilization in FO 6 was 77.36% in March 
• Florida producers supplied roughly 83% of milk pooled on FO 6, down from ~84% for the same month in 2024
• Class I utilization in FO 7 was 68.73% in March
• Class I route disposition was up 2.1 million pounds for the month compared to 2024

Read the full FO 6 & 7 Market Information Bulletin HERE.



GMP Classifieds

Want to showcase your business to dairy producers and industry professionals across the Southeast and US? Email info@gamilk.org to learn more about how you can advertise in the GMP E-News

Thank you to our Associate Members

The missions of Georgia Milk Producers is to support, sustain, and grow the Georgia dairy industry. In addition to our partners in industry who support the Georgia Dairy Conference each January, we are also offering an opportunity for allied industry to partner with GMP year-round, network with producers throughout the year, and promote their companies outside of the conference. Thank you to our inaugural Associate Members, FERA Animal Health and BMO Bank.

Until Next Time,

Bryce Trotter