Prospects for dairy farmers are mixed for this year, with milk prices going up but profits being a bit lower… that’s the word out of the recent USDA Agricultural Outlook Forum.

In this edition of the Milking Parlor, we hear from Ag Department dairy analyst Roger Hoskins, who told the group gathered for the forum that feed prices have gone up for producers, but fortunately, so has the price they’re getting for their products. In fact, the latest numbers from the USDA’s World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates show that strong international demand and improving domestic demand will help keep prices up with the all milk price forecast to average $18.10 to $18.70 per hundred weight this year … up about two dollars from last year’s prices. Hoskins believes that even with smaller profits, dairy producers will expand their herds in 2011, an assertion that is backed up by USDA Outlook Board Chairman Gerry Bange.

It’s an interesting conversation, and you can hear more of what they have to say or download the podcast here:
Milking Parlor Podcast USDA Ag Outlook Forum

Special thanks to our friend Gary Crawford at the USDA’s Newsroom for providing us with the audio for this report.

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