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MILKER’S MESSAGE www.thelandonline.com — “Where Farm and Family Meet”
THE LAND — NOVEMBER 26/DECEMBER 3, 2021
Labor, port shortages expected to continue into 2022 This column was written for the marketing week ending Nov. 24. I hope you had a blessed Thanksgiving. One of my frequent prayers is “Lord, grace me with an attitude of gratitude.” We all have had our News and information for Minnesota and Northern Iowa dairy producers share of trials and challenges the last two years, but Thanksgiving must remain a part of our psyche. before during the month of October. month in a row. Prior to September, that hadn’t hapMIELKE MARKET pened since June 2019. WEEKLY This year’s feast was an expensive The “other” cheese category slipped to one however, as costs were up about 14 584.2 million pounds. This is down 7.7 milThe Oct. 31 butter inventory fell to 281.5 million By Lee Mielke percent according to National Farm lion pounds or 1.3 percent from September, pounds, down 42.9 million or 13.2 percent from Bureau. Dairy economist Bill Brooks, but was 19.1 million or 3.4 percent above a September and is 18.2 million or 6.1 percent below with Missouri-based Stoneheart Consulting, blamed year ago. a year ago. The September count was revised down the turkey in the Nov. 29 “Dairy Radio Now” broad5.7 million pounds from last month’s data. The total cheese inventory stood at 1.45 billion cast. Costs were up some 24 percent from a year pounds, down 6.6 million pounds or 0.5 percent from U.S. butter production was down 1.7 percent in ago, he said, and pie crust was next — as wheat September, but a whopping 109.9 million or 8.2 per- August and down 4.9 percent in September, as milk prices shot higher due to production shortfalls. cent above October 2020. was diverted from the churn to the vat. Dairy product costs were up slightly, Brooks said, n but weren’t leading the charge, and still provided a lot of value to the food budget. Cash dairy prices at the Chicago Mercantile Demand for some retail and food Exchange didn’t see a lot of change in the shortened Brooks expects food inflation to continue “for a service cheesemakers has eased Thanksgiving holiday week. There wasn’t a lot for while,” due to production shortfalls and transportasomewhat in recent weeks. traders to feed on in the three days of trading, other tion issues — which includes energy costs. “We’ve Contacts were not overly concerned than Monday’s Cold Storage report. all seen it at the gas pump. Energy costs affect because it gives them time to catch everything that we do,” Brooks said. After gaining 27.25 cents in the previous two up on back orders. Some opine that weeks, the 40-pound cheddar blocks held steady at Dairy stocks are well supplied; and while butter cheese market tones are on “shaky $1.8575 per pound. This is unchanged in the three exports have helped support domestic prices (as ground,” citing the block-barrel days of trading and 17.75 cents above a year ago. international prices are well above ours), Brooks price gap being atypically large. says the increased cheese output we have seen The 500-pound barrels closed Nov. 24 at $1.525, doesn’t bode well for helping milk prices. That spells up a half-cent on the week, 10.25 cents above a year Looking back, milk output in August was up just concern for a cost price squeeze on dairy farmers ago, but 33.25 cents below the blocks. Only one car 0.6 percent while cheese output was up 4.4 percent. of barrel was sold on the week. dealing with slightly higher milk prices vs. rapidly September milk was unchanged while cheese output increasing input costs going into 2022. Cheese plant managers reported variant milk was up 3.3 percent. n availability in their respective areas, according to HighGround Dairy concludes, “Until shipping Dairy Market News. Some said they received no disThe October Milk Production report lit a shortlanes open up for more expanded access to export; counted milk offers ahead of the holiday, while othlived fire under cheese prices the Thursday and ers saw loads from Class to $2 under early in the Friday before Thanksgiving; but this week’s October and more important, labor challenges improve to allow converting facilities to maximize their output, week. Managers had to process the extra milk, Cold Storage report pretty much put the fire out. expect range bound cheese markets through the end working with limited staff through the holiday American-type cheese stocks climbed to 845.6 mil- of 2021 and potentially spilling over to the first few weekend. lion pounds. This is up 1.5 million pounds or 0.2 months of 2022.” Demand for some retail and food service cheesepercent from September, and a hefty 89.4 million The story was a little more encouraging on butter makers has eased somewhat in recent weeks. pounds or 11.8 percent above those a year ago. as stocks fell for the fourth consecutive month and Contacts were not overly concerned because it gives HighGround Dairy says American stocks hit their remained below those a year ago for the second See MIELKE, pg. 15 highest point in 2021, which has never happened
IDF launches 15th edition of Animal Health Report The International Dairy Federation recently cators for mastitis and udder health, biosecurity and released its 15th edition of the Animal Health Report milk quality. 2021 which is available to download for free on the This edition of the Animal Health Report is also a IDF website. reminder that dairy production looks very different The yearly edition is dedicated to animal health across our global member countries, and just like the and welfare and illustrates the importance of ade- challenge of feeding our growing world population, quate animal care of dairy animals for sustainable there is no one size fits all dairy production system. production. The 15th edition will dive into key top- The report will pinpoint countries from various conics such as the power of the welfare language, cooling tinents like Nigeria, New Zealand, Chile, Israel, as dairy cattle and providing appropriate shelter, indi- well as across the EU, and what we can learn from
their solutions to track mastitis and milk quality, biosecurity, disease detection and antimicrobial use and resistance. There is also a special chapter on antimicrobial use in animals by the OIE and another one of the SDGs and animal welfare. The report is now available to download from the IDF website: https://fil-idf.org/publications/. This article was submitted by the International Dairy Federation. v
