Market News

Dairy prices edge lower

Cash dairy prices drifted a little lower on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange on Monday.  It’s going to take a day-or-two to get a handle on just how much surplus milk was available over the long holiday weekend.  There were reports of spot loads being offered at $6 under Class on Thursday.  The last three-day weekend was Memorial Day when we had the first reports of excess skim milk being dumped by processors for lack of capacity.

The U.S. weighted average advertised price for a half-gallon of organic milk was $4.46 last week up 85 cents from the previous week.  The average price for a half-gallon of conventional milk was $1.83 putting the organic-to-conventional spread at $2.63 per half-gallon.

 

As state legislatures wrap-up their spring sessions, Cheese Market News reports six states have made it easier to sell raw milk in their states:

Connecticut has legalized herdshares and allowed licensed dairies to sell unpasteurized milk on the farm, at farmers’ markets and retails stores.

Oregon lifted a ban on advertising raw milk.

South Dakota producers may now sell unpasteurized cream in addition to raw milk on the farm, through delivery and farmers’ markets.

Utah, which allowed the on-farm sale of raw milk by licenses producers lifted the ban on cow-share programs as long as there are no more than two cows, 10 goats and 10 sheep per farm.

Vermont eased some testing requirements for the sale of raw milk, expanded sales to retail stores and legalized the sale of other raw dairy products.

Wyoming now allows farms, ranches and home kitchens to sell any food they produce other than meat products directly to consumers from the farm, ranch, private home, farmers’ market or delivery.

The National Conference of State Legislatures says 31 states now allow for consumers to purchase raw milk directly from a farm, farmers’ market or cow-share program.  12 of those also allow sales in retail outlets.

Sales of milk across state lines falls under federal jurisdiction which does not allow the sale of raw milk.