USDA updates dairy outlook; Farm Bureau convention
Washington Ag Today November 16, 2009 The USDA’s latest supply and demand report pegs milk production in 2010 to be down about one percent from this year. And USDA Outlook Board Chairman Jerry Bange says strong demand is seen too. Bange: “And that strong demand reflects a weak dollar and it reflects the economic recovery, to some extent here and especially abroad. It also reflects a concern about the supplies from New Zealand and Australia which have been in a recovery phase from the very severe drought conditions they have had as of late. And maybe they are not recovering as fast as some had thought. So the bottom line here is, is that we have a situation where we‘ve got tightening U.S. supplies because U.S. milk producers have been forced to do that owing to the increased cost and the production decisions they have made. And we are looking at a fairly strong demand picture.” Bange says that should mean a much improved price picture in 2010 for the financially strapped industry. Bange: “We are looking at a nearly one-third increase in the all-milk price compared to 2009.” Activities begin today in Kennewick for the 90th Annual Washington State Farm Bureau Convention being held at the Three Rivers Convention Center. The event runs through Thursday. One of the convention highlights will be an address by Sussette Kelo, a property owner in the eminent domain case, Kelo versus New London, Connecticut, that was ultimately decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. One of several workshops at the convention will also focus on eminent domain in Washington. I’m Bob Hoff and that’s Washington Ag Today on the Northwest Ag Information Network. ?
