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Cattle on feed estimates lower

February 25, 2013 — U.S. slaughter cattle and calves in feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.1 million head on Feb. 1, 2013, 6% less than a year earlier. January 2013 placements totaled 1.88 million (1.80 million net), about 2% less than a year earlier. January fed cattle marketings totaled 1.92 million, 6% more than a year earlier.

Cattle and calves on feed in feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head represent about 84% of all cattle and calves on feed in the United States.

March Class I is $17.80

February 21, 2013 — The Agriculture Department announced the March Federal order Class I base milk price this afternoon at $17.80 per hundredweight, down 41 cents from February but $1.50 above March 2012, and equates to about $1.53 per gallon. That put the 2013 Class I average at $18.33, up from $17.38 at this time a year ago and compares to $16.44 in 2011.

The AMS surveyed butter price averaged $1.5393 per pound, up 1.1cent from February. Nonfat dry milk averaged $1.5644, up fractionally. Cheese averaged $1.6480, down 10.6 cents, and dry whey averaged 63.99 cents, down 1.4 cents.

Courtesy the Mielke Market Weekly

December Federal Order Class I is $21.39

November 21, 2012 — The December Federal order Class I base milk price was announced this afternoon by USDA at $21.39 per hundredweight, up 69 cents from November, $2.92 above December 2011, the highest it’s been since November 2007, and equates to about $1.84 per gallon. That put the 2012 Class I average at $17.46, down from $19.13 in 2011 and compares to $15.35 in 2010 and $11.48 in 2009. The Class IV advanced pricing factor remained the “higher of” in driving the Class I value.

Courtesy Mielke Market Weekly

The AMS-surveyed butter price averaged $1.8860 per pound, down 3.4 cents from November. Nonfat dry milk averaged $1.5112, up 6.1 cents. Cheese averaged $2.0717, up 5.3 cents, and dry whey averaged 64.5 cents, up 3.2 cents from November.

October’s Class III is $21.02

October 31, 2012 –

he Agriculture Department announced the October Federal order benchmark Class III milk price this afternoon at $21.02 per hundredweight, up $2.02 from September and $2.99 above October 2011. That is the highest it has been since August 2011 and equates to about $1.81 per gallon. The 2012 Class III average now stands at $16.88, down $1.37 from this time a year ago but $2.52 above 2010 and $6.16 above the disastrous 2009 average at this time.

The October Class IV price is $18.54, up $1.13 from September and 13 cents above a year ago.

The AMS-surveyed cheese price averaged $2.0479 per pound, up 18.3 cents from September. Butter averaged $1.9168, up 9 cents. Nonfat dry milk averaged $1.4636, up 8.7 cents, and dry whey averaged 62.05 cents, up 3.6 cents.

September Milk Production down 0.5 Percent

October 19, 2012 — Milk production in the 23 major States during September totaled 14.7 billion pounds, down 0.5 percent from September 2011. August revised production at 15.3 billion pounds, was down slightly from August 2011. The August revision represented an increase of 26 million pounds or 0.2 percent from last month’s preliminary production estimate.

Production per cow in the 23 major States averaged 1,732 pounds for September, 10 pounds below September 2011. The number of milk cows on farms in the 23 major States was 8.47 million head, 5,000 head more than September 2011, but 25,000 head less than August 2012.

Milk production in the United States during the July – September quarter totaled 48.7 billion pounds, up 0.1 percent from the July – September quarter last year. The average number of milk cows in the United States during the quarter was 9.22 million head, 15,000 head more than the same period last year.

November Class I base highest since September 2011

October 17, 2012 — The November federal order Class I base milk price is $20.70/cwt., up $1.82 from October 2012, $2.25 more than November 2011, and the highest Class I base since September 2011.

Year-to-date, the 2012 Class I base average is $17.10/cwt., down from $19.19/cwt. for the same period in 2011. It compares to $15.21/cwt. for January-November 2010 and $11.25/cwt. for the same period in 2009.

Farm Gate Milk Prices Continue to Rise

October 3, 2012 — The Agriculture Department announced the September Federal order benchmark Class III price this afternoon at $19.00 per hundredweight (cwt.), up $1.27 from August, 7 cents below September 2011, $1.50 above California’s comparable 4b cheese milk price, and equates to about $1.63 per gallon.

The 2012 Class III average now stands at $16.54, down from $18.28 at this time a year ago and compares to $14.07 in 2010 and a painful $10.49 in 2009.

The September Class IV price is $17.41, up $1.65 from August but $2.12 below a year ago.

The AMS-surveyed cheese price averaged $1.8647 per pound, up 9.7 cents from August. Butter averaged $1.8269, up 14.1 cents. Nonfat dry milk averaged $1.3768, up 12.3 cents, and dry whey averaged 58.46 cents, up 4.9 cents from August.

Courtesy The Mielke Market Weekly

August Milk Production Down 0.2 Percent

September 19, 2012 — August milk production in the top 23 states slipped to 15.3 billion pounds, according to USDA’s preliminary data in its latest Milk Production report issued this afternoon, down 0.2 percent from August 2011and the first decrease since January 2009. The 50-state output was estimated at 16.38 billion, down 0.3 percent. Revisions subtracted 24 million pounds from the original July estimate, now put at 15.5 billion, up 0.7 percent from a year ago.

August cow numbers totaled 8.5 million head, down 4,000 from July but 32,000 more than a year ago. Output per cow averaged 1,803 pounds, down 10 from a year ago.

California’s August milk production plunged 5.8 percent from a year ago, despite 10,000 more cows, as heat drove output per cow down 125 pounds. Wisconsin, on the other hand, was up 4.9 percent thanks to a 75 pound gain per cow and 7,000 more cows.

Idaho was off 0.2 percent despite a 10 pound gain per cow. Cow numbers were down 4,000 head. New York was up 1.9 percent on a 35 pound gain per cow. Pennsylvania was down 1.7 percent, thanks to a 15 pound loss per cow and 4,000 fewer cows. Minnesota was up 2.7 percent, despite a loss of 2,000 cows but output per cow was up a nice 50-pounds.

Other data highlights included Arizona, down 3.8 percent on a 45 pound loss per cow and 3,000 fewer cows. Michigan was up 5.4 percent on a 50 pound gain per cow and 10,000 more cows being milked. New Mexico was off 2.9 percent on a 50 pound loss per cow and 2,000 fewer cows. Texas was down 1.9 percent, despite a gain of 5,000 cows but output per cow was down 55 pounds. Vermont was up 0.9 percent on a 30-pound gain per cow but cow numbers dropped a thousand head. Washington State’s hot weather resulted in a drop of 3.3 percent from a year ago on a 35 pound loss per cow and 4,000 fewer cows.

Courtesty Mielke Market Weekly

October Class I is $18.88

September 19, 2012 — The Agriculture Department announced the October Federal order Class I base milk price Wednesday afternoon at $18.88 per hundredweight, up $1.29 from September but 68 cents below October 2011, and equates to about $1.62 per gallon.

That pulled the 2012 Class I average to $16.74, down from $19.26 at this time a year ago but compares to $15.00 in 2010 and a disastrous $11.09 in 2009. The Class III advanced pricing factor remained the “higher of” in driving the Class I value.

The AMS-surveyed butter price averaged $1.8237, up 13.6 cents from September. Nonfat dry milk averaged $1.3708, up 11.9 cents. Cheese averaged $1.8542, up 10 cents, and dry whey averaged 58.04 cents, up 4.5 cents from September.

Farm Milk Prices Moving Higher

(August 29, 2012) Farm milk prices moved higher for the third month in a row. The Agriculture Department announced the August Federal order Class III benchmark milk price today at $17.73 per hundredweight (cwt.) up $1.05 from July but still $3.94 below August 2011, and equates to about $1.52 per gallon. That put the 2012 Class III average at $16.23, down from $18.18 at this time a year ago, and compares to $13.80 in 2010 and $10.29 in 2009.

Looking ahead; Class III futures settled Wednesday as follows: September, $19.36; October, $20.34; November, $20.55; and December, $20.41 per cwt. The August Class IV price is $15.76, up $1.31 from July but 4.38 below a year ago.

The AMS-surveyed cheese price averaged $1.7682 per pound, up 8.3 cents from July. Butter averaged $1.6859, up 14.7 cents, nonfat dry milk averaged $1.2543, up 8 cents, and dry whey averaged 53.52 cents, up 3.3 cents from July. California’s comparable 4a and 4b prices are scheduled to be announced September 4 by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.