Class II
Up
13¢
$10.49/cwt.
Class III
Up
34¢
$10.78/cwt.
Class IV
Up
18¢
$9.82/cwt.
Butterfat
Up
$0.0455
$1.2049/lb.
CALIFORNIA APRIL CLASS PRICES
Class 4 A
Class 4 B
U.S.
All Milk Price
Up
Down
APR
'08
12¢
4¢
$18.00
cwt.
$9.79/cwt.
$10.41/cwt.
APR
$12.00
'09
cwt.
WORLD MARKET REPORTS
Apr 20 –
May 1, ‘09
Butter
Skim Milk
Powder
Europe
$1.23$1.32/lb
$0.80 $0.95/lb
$0.93 $1.02/lb
$0.82 $1.00/lb
Oceania
Cheddar
Cheese
--$1.09 $1.23/lb
Whole Milk
Powder
$1.05 $1.11/lb
$0.95 $1.05/lb
U.S. MARKET REPORT
Apr 2025, 2009
AA Butter
Non-Fat
Dry Milk
Block Cheddar
Cheese
United
States
$1.16/lb
$0.82/lb
$1.25/lb
MARCH COLD STORAGE
Dry Whole
Milk
$1.16 $1.25/lb
04/20/09
Butter stocks: Up 5% from last month; down 4% from a year ago.
American Cheese: Unchanged from last month; up 7% from a year ago.
Total Cheese: Up 2% from last month; up 8% from a year ago.
MARCH MILK PRODUCTION
04/17/09
Milk Production in the 23 major States during March totaled 15.2 billion
pounds, down 0.2% from March 2008. February revised production at 13.6
billion pounds, was down 2.7% from February 2008. The February revision
represented an decrease of 23 million pounds or 0.2% from last month’s
preliminary production estimate.
Production per cow in the 23 major States averaged 1,788 pounds for March,
6 pounds below March 2008.
The number of milk cows on farms in the 23 major States was 8.48 million
head, 15,000 head more than March 2008, but 4,000 head less than February
2009.
Organic Valley average pay price
For MARCH 2009 $27.56/cwt.
Considering Organic?
Organic Valley Farmer Hotline
888-809-9297
FA IR P RIC IN G
By Wayne Moore, Dairy Risk Management Director
March milk production is down 0.2%. Secretary of
Agriculture Vilsack announces that 200 million pounds
of NFDM will be donated to various food programs.
2009 milk production is projected down 0.4% and
consumption projected up 1.1%. The May Class III
futures is below $10.00. The barrel cheese price is
$1.05 and the block price is $1.13.
What is going on here? The same old thing that has
been going on for years; the industry is setting your
milk price! They are building inventories with cheap
milk and when the cheese price goes back up they
will reap the profits. Then they will use those profits to
out pay cooperatives and gain even more control over
dairy farmers.
With milk prices at less than half of the cost of
production, how long can dairy producers stay in
business? The loss in equity is terrible. It is critical
that farmers react.
The consolidation in the industry continues; and if
it goes on a few more years dairy producers will be at
the complete mercy of the industry, just like grain and
livestock producers.
Someone recently said, “If NFO is not around to
fight for farmers, who will?” The answer is no one.
Now is the time to act while you can.
Talk to your neighbors and your NFO
representatives. Get organized to protest this
disastrous situation. The time is now and now is the
time.
CLASSIII Comparisons
2007
2009
2008
24.00
Dollars per hundredweight
APRIL MONTHLY PRICES
22.00
20.00
18.00
16.00
14.00
12.00
10.00
8.00
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
Volume VII, Issue 5 Available at nfo.org Dairy Tab – Dairy Report
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
GREAT LAKES REGION
PRODUCER SPOTLIGHT
Guernsey Farms Dairy
N OR T HVI L L E , M I C HI G A N
By Gary Sc h miesi ng , Reg ion al Di re cto r
Saturday April 25th 2009 brought a day of
intermittent rains to the Detroit area, but that didn’t keep
the crowds away from the open house at Guernsey
Farms Dairy located in the suburb of Northville.
The lines were long and the many thousands of
consumers who participated learned about Guernsey
Farms Dairy history along with the modern processing
techniques in the industry today. All visitors to the
dairy enjoyed ice cream cones compliments of the
McGuire family.
A live Guernsey cow was also present for the crowd
to see where the milk for processing comes from for
their ultimate consumption.
Guernsey Farms Dairy has a rich history dating back
to 1940. John McGuire the patriarch of the dairy, along
with his wife Pat and their fourteen children, made the
dairy the success it is today. Many of the children,
grandchildren and even great grandchildren work in the
dairy today. John is 100 years old and helped welcome
the visitors on this particular Saturday.
John had completed a dairy program from Michigan
Agricultural College in 1940, now known as Michigan
State University and was anxious for the opportunity
to use the formula he developed to produce ice cream,
chocolate milk, buttermilk, sour cream and eggnog. In
1940 he began working at the dairy, took part
ownership in 1945, and full ownership in 1952.
Representatives from NFO including staff, National
Directors, and farmer members were also present at
the open house with a booth set up to answer questions
about the farms supplying the milk, the quality and
care of animals at the farm level, and the pickup,
transportation, and delivery of the milk to Guernsey
Farms Dairy. Explaining to consumers that Happy
Cows well cared for, provide more and better quality
milk tied in with the mission statement of Guernsey
Farms Dairy. Their mission statement, “We believe
service isn’t expensive—it’s priceless”
Today, Guernsey Farms Dairy operates not only
the dairy, but also an ice cream store, a restaurant, and
gift shop at the same address. If you haven’t had their
ice cream, eggnog, or other products, you are missing
out on the best.
NFO supplies all the raw milk used by this dairy
and the quality of the milk for processing by
processing plants is important to them and to us.
Our compliments go out to
Guernsey Dairy and the McGuire family
for their very excellent open house,
consumer education and public outreach program.
John and Pat McGuire, their 14 children and extended families
John and Pat McGuire wanted a big family and all fourteen children have had extensive work experience in the dairy.