95% of U.S. dairy farms have disappeared since 1970. Today, about 24,000 dairies remain.
While the number has dropped, the average herd size is on the rise. More than 60% of all milk production occurs on farms with more than 2,500 cows.
So, what is driving the changes in the dairy industry?
That depends on who you ask.
A University of Tennessee Dairy Specialist believes that it is tied to the Federal Milk Marketing Order and how today’s dairy producers are paid for their products.
Related Stories
Enforceable origin labels could create clearer premiums for U.S. cattle and address concerns some producers have had with competition from foreign imported beef.
A court decision that overturns Enlist labels would remove two major herbicides from use and reshape EPA’s future mitigation policies for other pesticides.
Pasture, Rangeland and Forage (PRF) interval selection—not just participation—drives protection levels as rainfall patterns become less predictable across the South.
If the House concurs and the President signs, USDA services and farm-bill programs resume at full speed with authorities extended for another year.
Experts highlight the importance of monitoring insecticide resistance in crops and improving disease traceability at livestock shows through RFID technology.
Lewie Pugh, with the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, joined us on Monday’s Market Day Report to share his perspective on what the bill could mean for truckers.