Farm milk prices are climbing but have need to go a long way to hit profitability for most US dairy farms. The Agriculture Department announced the April Federal order Class III benchmark at $18.52 per hundredweight, up 42 cents from March but $5.90 below April 2022. The four month average stands at $18.46, down from $22.04 a year ago, and compares to $16.40 in 2021.

Late Friday morning Class III futures portended a May price at $16.56; June, $17.03; July, $17.79; and August at $18.52, with a peak of $19.40 in November.

The April Class IV price is $17.95, down 43 cents from March, $7.36 below a year ago, and the lowest Class IV since October 2021. Its four month average is at $18.80, down from $24.31 a year ago, and compares to $14.14 in 2021.

Feed prices showed some relief in March, according to the Agriculture Department’s latest Ag Prices report, but another drop in the All Milk price pulled the milk feed ratio to 1.56, down from 1.58 in February, lowest since August 2021, and compares to 2.02 in March 2022. The index is based on the current milk price in relationship to feed prices for a ration consisting of 51% corn, 8% soybeans and 41% alfalfa hay. In this case, one pound of milk would only purchase 1.56 pounds of dairy feed of that blend.

The All Milk Price average fell for the fifth month in a row, slipping to $21.10 per hundredweight, down 50 cents from February, after losing $1.50 the month before, and is $4.50 below March 2022. 

The March cull price for beef and dairy combined continued to climb, averaging $95.70 per cwt., up $6.20 from February, after gaining $7.80 the month before. Its $11.00 above March 2022 and $24.10 above the 2011 base average.

Quarterly milk cow replacements averaged $1,720 per head in April, unchanged from January but $150 above April 2022. Cows averaged $1655 per head in California, down $165 from January, but $215 above a year ago. Wisconsin’s average, at $1,840, was up $30 from January and $130 above April 2022.

“With on-farm expenses at all-time highs, many dairy producers are bracing for their worst losses since the 2009 dairy crisis,” the DDR somberly concluded. “Eventually, pain on the farm will result in weaker milk production and rising prices. But today, by all accounts, milk is abundant, and prices remain low.”

Dairy economist Bill Brooks, of Stoneheart Consulting in Dearborn, Missouri, says “Income over feed costs in March were below the $8 per cwt. level needed for steady to increasing milk production for the second month in a row. Input prices backed away from all-time record high prices in March, but all three commodities were in the top two for March all time. Feed costs were the highest ever for the month of March and the eighth highest all time. The All-Milk price was just outside the top forty at the forty-third highest recorded,” says Brooks.

Looking at 2023, milk income over feed costs, using April 28 CME settling futures prices for Class III milk, corn, and soybeans plus the Stoneheart forecast for alfalfa hay, are expected to be $8.03 per cwt., a loss of 46 cents versus last month’s estimate. “2023 income over feed would be close to the level needed to maintain or grow milk output, but down $3.96 per cwt. from 2022,” says Brooks.

Dairy margins improved modestly the second half of April as a sharp decline in projected feed costs more than offset weaker milk prices, according to the latest Margin Watch from Chicago-based Commodity and Ingredient Hedging LLC. 

“The milk market continues to be pressured by abundant cheese inventories combined with lower cash trade in the spot market,” the MW stated. It detailed the large quantity of cheese sold at the CME, the March Milk Production and Cold Storage reports and concluded; “Feed prices declined sharply as increasing corn export cancelations by China and a large second corn crop out of Brazil pressure the market.”

Cash butter climbed to a Friday finish at $2.4450 per pound, up 9.25 cents on the week, but 19.50 cents below a year ago, with 14 sales reported on the week.

In what may be a first time occurrence USDA released a revised March Cold Storage report Monday, after it made no revisions to the February data in its April 25 report. February 28 total cheese stocks were reduced 9 million pounds and the butter inventory was lowered 1 million. March estimates were left unchanged.

Midwest butter demand and churning were busy this week, says DMN. Demand has not ebbed despite some expectation of bearish pressure on markets due to reported supply increases. Plants are still working through readily available cream at similar prices to previous weeks. Milkfat component levels from the farm are “keeping cream supplies somewhat hearty,” says DMN.

The week ending April 22 saw 60,800 dairy cows head to slaughter, up 500 from the previous week and 4,400 head or 7.8% above a year ago. Year to date, 1.05 million head have been culled, up 43,300 head or 4.3% above a year ago.

The International dairy market saw more good news Tuesday as the Global Dairy Trade weighted average rose 2.5%, following the 3.2% jump on April 18. Traders brought 51.3 million pounds of product to market, up from 50.1 million on April 18, and the average metric ton price climbed to $3,506 US, up from $3,362.00.

The gains were led by whole milk powder, up 5.0%, following a 1% advance on April 18. Skim milk powder was up 1.5%, after jumping 7.0% last time. Buttermilk powder inched 0.8% higher. GDT Cheddar was up 4.5%, after jumping 5.7% last time, and butter was up 2.4%, following a 4.9% advance. The one decline was on anhydrous milkfat, down 2.4%, after advancing 4.7% in the last event.

StoneX Dairy Group says the GDT 80% butterfat butter price equates to $2.1893 per pound US, up 5.6 cents after gaining 10 cents on April 18, and compares to CME butter which closed Friday at a pricey $2.4450. GDT Cheddar, at $2.0690, was up 6.8 cents, and compares to Friday’s CME block Cheddar at a bargain $1.6125. GDT skim milk powder averaged $1.2641 per pound, up from $1.2590, and whole milk powder averaged $1.4650 per pound, up from $1.4012. CME Grade A nonfat dry milk closed Friday at $1.1975 per pound.

 Betty Berning, contributing dairy economist with HighGround Dairy, reported in the May 8 ‘Dairy Radio Now’ broadcast that she’s a bit skeptical of the rise in powder. Demand is weak globally, she said, and the buying came primarily from Asia, particularly on whole milk powder, as perhaps there isn’t as much available.

US dairy exports fell in March from a year ago on a volume basis, however HighGround Dairy points out that historically speaking, exports were in the top three, just behind 2022. I’ll have more details next week.

In politics; the National Milk Producers Federation submitted its proposal for modernizing the Federal Milk Marketing Order system to the USDA this week. NMPF President and CEO Jim Mulhern stated; “Dairy farmers and their cooperatives need a modernized Federal Milk Marketing Order system that works better for producers. By updating the pricing formulas to better reflect the value of the high-quality products made from farmers’ milk, by rebalancing pricing risks that have shifted unfairly onto farmers, and by creating a pathway to better reflect processing costs going forward, we are excited to submit this plan as a path toward a brighter future for dairy.” Upon official acceptance, USDA will have 30 days to review the plan and decide whether and how to move forward with a federal order hearing to review the plan, according to NMPF.

The plan calls for updating dairy product manufacturing allowances contained in USDA milk price formulas, discontinuing the use of barrel cheese in the protein component price formula, returning to the “higher of” Class I mover, updating milk component factors for protein, other solids and nonfat solids in the Class III and Class IV skim milk price formulas, and updating the Class I differential price system to reflect changes in the cost of delivering bulk milk to fluid plants. 

NMPF will also pursue two other components outside of the hearing process, that don’t involve changing federal order regulations. They would extend the current 30-day reporting limit to 45 days on forward priced sales on nonfat dry milk and dry whey to capture more exports sales in USDA product price reporting. NMPF also seeks to develop legislative language for the farm bill to ensure the make allowance is regularly reviewed by directing the USDA to conduct mandatory plant-cost studies every two years.