THE LAND — JUNE 24/JULY 1, 2022
www.thelandonline.com — “Where Farm and Family Meet”
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Lack of China’s dairy buys continues to puzzle This column was written for the marketpounds. New Mexico was down 10.5 pering week ending June 24. cent on 38,000 fewer cows although output per cow was up 25 pounds. The bigU.S. milk production continues below gest losses were in Florida and Georgia, that of a year ago, with May being the down 11.9 percent and 11.6 percent seventh consecutive month. Preliminary respectively. data shows output at 19.7 billion pounds, down 0.7 percent from May 2021, and folNew York was unchanged despite a lows a 1 percent drop in April. Output in 10,000 cow loss, offset by output per cow the top 24 states totaled 18.8 billion being up 35 pounds. Oregon was up 1.3 MIELKE MARKET pounds, down 0.6 percent. Revisions lowpercent on 2,000 more cows. Output per WEEKLY ered the 50-state April estimate 3 million cow was unchanged. Pennsylvania was By Lee Mielke pounds to 19.1 billion, still 1 percent down 1.1 percent on 8,000 fewer below a year ago. cows, though output per cow was up 10 pounds. While dairy farmers have added 38,000 cows to the milking string South Dakota posted the biggest since the first of the year, they only added 2,000 in increase, up 15.2 percent, milking 23,000 more cows May, putting the herd at 9.41 million head, 102,000 and got five extra pounds per cow than a year ago. less than a year ago. The April tally was revised up Texas was up 5.8 percent, thanks to 21,000 more 1,000 head. cows and a 50-pound gain per cow. Vermont was off May output per cow averaged 2,096 pounds, up 0.9 percent on 1,000 fewer cows. Output per cow eight pounds from May 2021. was up five pounds. Washington State was down 6.4 California output totaled 3.7 billion pounds, down percent on 14,000 fewer cows and a 30-pound drop per cow. 63 million pounds or 1.7 percent from a year ago. The Golden State added 3,000 cows, but output per Speaking in the June 27 “Dairy Radio Now” cow dropped 40 pounds. Wisconsin, at 2.8 billion broadcast, Matt Gould, editor and analyst with the pounds, was up 23 million or 0.8 percent. Cow num- Dairy and Food Market Analyst newsletter, called bers were down 1,000 but output per cow was up 20 the Milk Production report “a big deal.” pounds from a year ago The industry is watching the monthly reports, Idaho was off 0.3 percent on 1,000 fewer cows and wondering when dairy farmers will “turn it on or a five-pound drop per cow. Michigan was down 1.7 ramp it up,” he said, referring to milk output, and percent on 18,000 fewer cows, but output per cow this report did not give any indication that is hapwas up 55 pounds. Minnesota was down 1 percent pening. He said it’s a global occurrence, citing on a 9,000 cow loss, while output per cow was up 20 lower output in New Zealand and Europe, calling it
MARKETING
Metz ships to those who can’t visit METZ, from pg. 9
fun way to work with other local businesses to share our products.” Metz Hart-Land Creamery also had a number of pizza nights on the farm in 2021. They collaborated with Stumpy’s Concessions of Rushford for those events. If you can’t visit the farm store, or attend one of the events, the Metz family has a website and an active mail order business. They ship cheese year-around to internet customers; but summer shipping tends to be more expensive. “We can ship in the summer, but shipping is more as we have to use cooler boxes and ice packs and use next services,” Mariann said. “We distribute to our stores year-round by using our cooler truck.” Obviously gelato can’t be shipped at any time of the year; but on-line customers have been ordering the various sizes of gift boxes featured on the creamery’s web site.
“good news for American dairy farmers as that will keep support in the market for the foreseeable future.” Gould doesn’t see a milk shortage, like we did on toilet paper, but says the pandemic resulted in “long effects.” Expansions, both at the farm and processor level, were delayed. “Farmers are now getting the economic signal to expand; but how long will that take? Normally it takes six months of profitability to trigger a meaningful increase in cow numbers and milk output.” If that holds true, Gould said we should see that indication this summer. “The longer it takes for the supply response, the longer prices are going to stay high,” he concluded. n Meanwhile, the June 21 Daily Dairy Report says, “Low slaughter rates and high milk prices suggest that dairy producers could continue to add cows. However, amid high feed costs, supply management programs, and low heifer inventories, growth in the dairy herd will likely remain incremental.” High milk prices continues to keep cows milking. Culling fell in May, but was slightly above a year ago according to the latest Livestock Slaughter report. An estimated 225,200 head were sent to slaughter under federal inspection, down 12,600 from April but 1,800 head above May 2021. Culling in the five-month period totaled 1.29 million head, down 38,000 or 2.9 percent from a year ago. In the week ending June 11, 50,400 dairy cows were sent to slaughter, up 1,600 head from the previous week, but 2,200 or 4.2 percent below a year ago. U.S. butter stocks climbed higher in May but remained well below a year ago. The USDA’s latest Cold Storage report shows the May 31 inventory at 321.6 million pounds. This is up 23.3 million pounds or 7.8 percent from April, but 92.3 million or 22.3 percent below a year ago — the eighth consecutive month stocks were below the previous year. The April tally was revised down 1.3 million. American-type cheese stocks hit 857.9 million pounds, up 22.2 million pounds or 2.6 percent from April, and up 29.9 million or 3.6 percent above those a year ago. The “other” cheese category crept up to 628.3 million pounds, up 7.1 million or 1.1 percent from April, and 19.8 million pounds or 3.3 percent above a year ago. The total cheese inventory hit a bearish record high 1.512 billion pounds. This is up 31.1 million pounds or 2.1 percent from April, and 53.6 million or 3.7 percent above a year ago. n The “recovery” in the Global Dairy Trade auction suffered a relapse this week as the weighted aver-
“Gift set ‘D’ is the most popular, I think, because it has some of everything in it; but in the past few years we have sold a lot of every size,” Mariann said. “I think people really like a useful consumable gift.” “We put the variety of gift packages together so there is something for everyone — from giving to a single person to having one for a house full of family and friends.” In addition to everything else, the Metz family also does creamery and farm tours. Mariann says they’ve conducted tours for two people and have had groups of up to 75. “Come out and learn how a dairy and farmstead creamery work,” Mariann says to potential visitors. “(People) enjoy the playground and small petting area with a donkey, miniature horse and goat.” Mariann and Jeff are the tour guides. Advance reservations for tours are a must. You can reach Mariann by email at metzcreamery@ goacentek.net or by phone at (507) 864-2627. The Creamery’s website is www.metzhart-land.com. v See MIELKE, pg. 12
