<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[MilkProducersCouncil]]></title><description><![CDATA[MilkProducersCouncil]]></description><link>https://www.milkproducerscouncil.org/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Wed, 15 Apr 2026 01:29:51 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.milkproducerscouncil.org/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Milk, Dairy and Grain Market Commentary]]></title><description><![CDATA[Lifted by strong international prices and low domestic output, the milk powder market soared to a 12-year high. CME spot nonfat dry milk (NDM) leapt 5.25ȼ this week to $1.9225 per pound, its loftiest perch since April 2014, when China was stocking up on milk powder ahead of an anticipated baby boom. Milk powder prices took a small step back at Tuesday’s GDT Pulse auction, but other indications of international prices continued to climb. German skim milk powder (SMP) values are 37% higher...]]></description><link>https://www.milkproducerscouncil.org/post/milk-dairy-and-grain-market-commentary-205</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69cd8d36011a766e716b9d8e</guid><category><![CDATA[Markets]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 27 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/318cf1_baafcdefe03a4429a3549b92502d8c06~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_799,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Sarina Sharp</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Federal Funding Enables Friant Water Authority Improvements]]></title><description><![CDATA[It was pretty exciting to hear at the Friant Water Authority (FWA) board meeting this week about the huge and immediate impact the $200 million allocation from the Big Beautiful Bill Congress passed a few months ago is having on FWA. New pump stations will soon be under construction and right of way purchases will be commencing on the next phase of the parallel canal subsidence fix on Friant-Kern. The influx of federal funding also paved the way to remove a huge conflict within the Friant...]]></description><link>https://www.milkproducerscouncil.org/post/federal-funding-enables-friant-water-authority-improvements</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69cd8cb455ae1fb580a53856</guid><pubDate>Fri, 27 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Geoff Vanden Heuvel</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Milk, Dairy and Grain Market Commentary]]></title><description><![CDATA[Today marks the official start of spring and longer days and warmer temperatures are helping to spur milk volumes upward seasonally. But changing seasons aren’t the only factor driving milk production growth as volumes continue to post impressive year over year gains. In its Milk Production report published this afternoon, USDA estimated that U.S. dairy producers made 18.255 billion pounds of milk in February, 2.9% more than during the same month last year. The agency also revised the January...]]></description><link>https://www.milkproducerscouncil.org/post/milk-dairy-and-grain-market-commentary-204</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69bf23ff6ec37c7e8a56f19e</guid><pubDate>Sat, 21 Mar 2026 23:08:06 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/318cf1_baafcdefe03a4429a3549b92502d8c06~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_799,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Monica Ganley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[State Regulatory Decisions (or Refusal to Make Decisions) Continue to Cost Critical Water Supplies in a Changing Climate  ]]></title><description><![CDATA[On February 9, 2026, Congressmen Costa, Gray, Valadao and Fong jointly sent a letter to Governor Newsom (read here) asking him to suspend a regulation in the Delta called the Port Chicago water quality standard because the triggering of this standard would require releases from the reservoirs and the loss of as much as 600,000 acre-feet of fresh water to the ocean. If you remember, in January the California drought map showed our state for the first time in a long time completely free of...]]></description><link>https://www.milkproducerscouncil.org/post/state-regulatory-decisions-or-refusal-to-make-decisions-continue-to-cost-critical-water-supplies-i</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69bf233acf14a7a450cd80a7</guid><category><![CDATA[Water]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 21 Mar 2026 23:04:13 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Geoff Vanden Heuvel</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Milk, Dairy and Grain Market Commentary]]></title><description><![CDATA[The dairy markets are contending with an abundance of milk and a fresh infusion of global turmoil. That amped up the volatility on LaSalle Street. CME spot Cheddar blocks came out

strong on Monday and rallied to a four-month high at $1.63 per pound. But as the week wore on, blocks’ enthusiasm waned. They settled today at $1.53, down 8.75ȼ for the week.]]></description><link>https://www.milkproducerscouncil.org/post/milk-dairy-and-grain-market-commentary-203</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69b4e91c4898c9cce5a05234</guid><category><![CDATA[Markets]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 14 Mar 2026 04:53:05 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/318cf1_baafcdefe03a4429a3549b92502d8c06~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_799,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Sarina Sharp</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Milk, Dairy and Grain Market Commentary]]></title><description><![CDATA[It has been a dramatic and volatile week, both in and out of the dairy markets. All eyes have been on the developing conflict in the Middle East and analysts have been scrambling to deduce the impact for the dairy market. Outside of drastically reduced dairy demand in the Gulf States, concerns are circulating around two key issues. Firstly, freight rates have soared as standard shipping routes...]]></description><link>https://www.milkproducerscouncil.org/post/milk-dairy-and-grain-market-commentary-202</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69ab83357fac2e2861ff5b3f</guid><category><![CDATA[Markets]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 07 Mar 2026 01:50:39 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/318cf1_baafcdefe03a4429a3549b92502d8c06~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_799,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Monica Ganley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Milk, Dairy and Grain Market Commentary]]></title><description><![CDATA[Butter futures jumped this week on the heels of a bullish Cold Storage report. USDA pegged January 31 butter inventories at 215.4 million pounds, down 17.4% from the year before. Domestic butter demand was robust and exports were strong enough to offset the significant growth in U.S. butterfat output. More recently, though, USDA’s Dairy Market News reported that butter churns are running “seven days a week… at or near max capacity.” And manufacturers tell Dairy Market News they are...]]></description><link>https://www.milkproducerscouncil.org/post/milk-dairy-and-grain-market-commentary-201</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a23c1a50fcf4a427a0c3ea</guid><category><![CDATA[Markets]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 28 Feb 2026 00:53:48 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/318cf1_baafcdefe03a4429a3549b92502d8c06~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_799,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Sarina Sharp</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Water Round Up ]]></title><description><![CDATA[We had a good week of rain and snow. It is too early to tell what ultimate impact this week’s precipitation will have on this summer’s irrigation water supplies, but it is definitely positive. It also reduced the water cost impact of an old Delta regulation that requires releases of water stored in the reservoirs to be sent to the ocean to maintain a particular water quality level at “Port Chicago,” which is located in the western Delta. This regulation was put in place back in 1999 to...]]></description><link>https://www.milkproducerscouncil.org/post/water-round-up</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6998fa539d76d99c1ceafeb7</guid><category><![CDATA[Water]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 21 Feb 2026 00:21:44 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Geoff Vanden Heuvel</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Milk, Dairy and Grain Market Commentary]]></title><description><![CDATA[February weather and February trading have been unusually mercurial, with a mix of frigid lows, massive snowstorms, and warm, sunny skies. On LaSalle Street this week the Class III markets ran hot and then cold as traders digested news about international prices, government dairy purchases, and dairy exports. Butter, milk powder, and Class IV futures caught fire and stayed hot all week thanks to almost daily doses of bullish news.]]></description><link>https://www.milkproducerscouncil.org/post/milk-dairy-and-grain-market-commentary-200</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6998f95f9d76d99c1ceafc95</guid><category><![CDATA[Markets]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 21 Feb 2026 00:18:37 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/318cf1_baafcdefe03a4429a3549b92502d8c06~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_799,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Sarina Sharp</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Milk, Dairy and Grain Market Commentary]]></title><description><![CDATA[It was another dramatic week on LaSalle. Seemingly inspired by the Olympians in Milan-Cortina, the markets underwent their own fits of athletic prowess as they jumped, twirled, and in some cases tumbled. The market tone is unsettled as buyers and sellers are going head-to-head. By the conclusion of Friday’s spot session, every commodity sat at a lower price than a week prior. However, that simple conclusion belies the volatile activity that occurred over the course of the week.]]></description><link>https://www.milkproducerscouncil.org/post/milk-dairy-and-grain-market-commentary-199</link><guid isPermaLink="false">698facf69f4f0b75dffd01c0</guid><category><![CDATA[Markets]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 23:02:14 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/318cf1_baafcdefe03a4429a3549b92502d8c06~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_799,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Monica Ganley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Video Now Available: Geoff Vanden Heuvel Highlights Urgent Water Challenges at Sustainable Agriculture Summit in Anaheim ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Last November, we reported that Geoff Vanden Heuvel spoke at the 2025 Sustainable Agriculture Summit in Anaheim. Video of his presentation is now available and can be viewed here.]]></description><link>https://www.milkproducerscouncil.org/post/video-now-available-geoff-vanden-heuvel-highlights-urgent-water-challenges-at-sustainable-agricultu</link><guid isPermaLink="false">698fa79d9f4f0b75dffcf955</guid><category><![CDATA[Water]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 22:39:24 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Geoff Vanden Heuvel</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Producer Review Board Meeting Report]]></title><description><![CDATA[The Producer Review Board (PRB) held a meeting on Monday, February 2, 2026. It was a virtual meeting, and it started a bit late due to technical difficulties. The main purpose of the meeting was to consider 16 hardship requests that had been either carried over from a prior meeting or were submitted more recently. See the agenda meeting packet here.]]></description><link>https://www.milkproducerscouncil.org/post/producer-review-board-meeting-report</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69869940e14322a9a91303a0</guid><category><![CDATA[Quota]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 07 Feb 2026 01:47:05 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/318cf1_d328631e48b34661a1505e2f14a0e8e9~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_317,h_391,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Geoff Vanden Heuvel</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Milk, Dairy and Grain Market Commentary]]></title><description><![CDATA[What has gotten into the nonfat dry milk (NDM) market? NDM prices have been climbing since January, but the trajectory accelerated meaningfully this week. After taking a brief respite on Monday, the spot price for NDM rose every day between Tuesday and Friday, delivering an 18¢ increase, and qualifying as the commodity’s strongest week since May 2007. Prices settled at $1.64/lb. on Friday, which is not only the highest price since August 2022, but is also a comfortable 16.75¢ above Cheddar...]]></description><link>https://www.milkproducerscouncil.org/post/milk-dairy-and-grain-market-commentary-198</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6986988ce14322a9a913024e</guid><category><![CDATA[Markets]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 07 Feb 2026 01:44:52 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/318cf1_baafcdefe03a4429a3549b92502d8c06~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_799,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Monica Ganley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Milk, Dairy and Grain Market Commentary]]></title><description><![CDATA[After rising unabashedly last week, the resolve of dairy markets was tested in recent days with mixed results. The CME was abuzz with activity as buyers and sellers gathered to test the limits and fortitude of the market’s newfound vigor. ]]></description><link>https://www.milkproducerscouncil.org/post/milk-dairy-and-grain-market-commentary-197</link><guid isPermaLink="false">697d5763ccf6db790cb41c8b</guid><category><![CDATA[Markets]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 31 Jan 2026 01:16:02 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/318cf1_baafcdefe03a4429a3549b92502d8c06~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_799,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Monica Ganley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Milk, Dairy and Grain Market Commentary]]></title><description><![CDATA[This weekend’s impending winter storm isn’t the only blanket of white settling across the U.S. Milk production continues to surge across the country with production rising to 19.568 billion pounds in December. This represents a 4.4% increase over the same month last year and means that when full year data was tallied, U.S. producers made 2.8% more milk in 2025 than during the prior year, after accounting for leap day. Most states saw production rise, but the biggest increase was seen in...]]></description><link>https://www.milkproducerscouncil.org/post/milk-dairy-and-grain-market-commentary-196</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6974222daa29322cefcd7660</guid><category><![CDATA[Markets]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 24 Jan 2026 01:39:37 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/318cf1_baafcdefe03a4429a3549b92502d8c06~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_799,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Monica Ganley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Milk, Dairy and Grain Market Commentary]]></title><description><![CDATA[The dairy markets have been swamped under a tidal wave of milk and are now fumbling around for the bottom. After catching a quick breath last week, spot nonfat dry milk (NDM) slipped back under the surface, falling a penny to $1.255. CME spot butter bounced back from multi-year lows, climbing 5.5ȼ to $1.355 per pound. And CME spot Cheddar blocks continued to sink, falling 2.5ȼ to $1.29. Meanwhile, whey remained buoyant. Spot whey powder rallied 3.5ȼ to 73.5ȼ.]]></description><link>https://www.milkproducerscouncil.org/post/milk-dairy-and-grain-market-commentary-195</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6973c06abefaa1002191aee1</guid><category><![CDATA[Markets]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 16 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/318cf1_baafcdefe03a4429a3549b92502d8c06~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_799,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Sarina Sharp</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Milk, Dairy and Grain Market Commentary]]></title><description><![CDATA[The milk powder market is bulking up for the new year. It strengthened every day so far in 2026. The unexpected rally propelled CME spot nonfat dry milk to $1.265 per pound today, up 9ȼ for the week to its highest perch since mid-August. It’s unusual to see milk powder prices climb amid a rapid increase in U.S. milk output. But the dramatic expansion in U.S. dairy processing capacity has reduced the need for balancing. In October, U.S. milk powder output slumped to 148.9 million...]]></description><link>https://www.milkproducerscouncil.org/post/milk-dairy-and-grain-market-commentary-194</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6967f0f00ef3e0e1c07f069f</guid><category><![CDATA[Markets]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 09 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/318cf1_baafcdefe03a4429a3549b92502d8c06~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_799,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Sarina Sharp</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Milk, Dairy and Grain Market Commentary]]></title><description><![CDATA[The ball has dropped, the confetti has settled, and the calendar page has officially flipped to 2026. But if you are searching for new year optimism, you may have to look beyond the dairy markets. The market tone remains decidedly bearish as plentiful milk supplies continue to outpace demand.]]></description><link>https://www.milkproducerscouncil.org/post/milk-dairy-and-grain-market-commentary-193</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6967f012bbaf501a67d8fce3</guid><category><![CDATA[Markets]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 02 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/318cf1_baafcdefe03a4429a3549b92502d8c06~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_799,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Monica Ganley</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Milk, Dairy and Grain Market Commentary]]></title><description><![CDATA[The U.S. dairy industry is drowning in butterfat. In October, America’s dairy herd cranked out 3.7% more milk than the year before, and cream production soared 5.9% year over year. On Monday, USDA will publish a fresh round of milk production data, and even greater gains are likely. It will be easy to beat November 2024 figures, when avian influenza dragged California milk output down 7.9% compared to November 2023. National average milk output was 0.3% lower than the year before.]]></description><link>https://www.milkproducerscouncil.org/post/milk-dairy-and-grain-market-commentary-192</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6945f4a4278ff96e54e725fa</guid><category><![CDATA[Markets]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 20 Dec 2025 01:01:03 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/318cf1_baafcdefe03a4429a3549b92502d8c06~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_799,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Sarina Sharp</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Lots of Water Activity ]]></title><description><![CDATA[There has been a flurry of recent activity related to water issues. On December 2, the federal Bureau of Reclamation released “Action 5” which are updated rules that will govern pumping water from the delta.  The delta is the 1,150 square mile area located east of the Golden Gate Bridge where the great rivers that drain the Central Valley meet the salt water from the San Franciso Bay. This area is home to 500,000 acres of farmland and many sloughs and channels that contain important...]]></description><link>https://www.milkproducerscouncil.org/post/lots-of-water-activity</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6945f3c7278ff96e54e723d0</guid><category><![CDATA[Water]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 20 Dec 2025 00:57:58 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Geoff Vanden Heuvel</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>