Uncover USDA’s 2024-25 forecast: stable milk output, higher dairy prices, and beef trends. How will these affect your business and market plans?
Comprising important elements such as milk production, dairy pricing, and changing patterns, the USDA’s thorough prediction for 2024–25 presents a full picture of the dairy industry. This projection—a great tool for market analysts—has great relevance for farmers, manufacturers, and other stakeholders driving their strategic decisions.
Stable Milk Output Projections Set the Stage for Increased Exports and Rising Prices
| Category | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Milk Production (billion pounds) | 226.4 | 227.3 | 229.3 |
| Class III Milk Price ($/cwt) | — | 17.90 | 17.70 |
| Class IV Milk Price ($/cwt) | — | 20.50 | 20.10 |
| All-Milk Price ($/cwt) | — | 21.60 | 21.50 |
Since last month, the milk production forecasts for 2024 and 2025 have been constant, suggesting a harmonic approach to cow inventory levels. This consistency and the expectation of higher cheese shipments have resulted in an upward estimate for commercial exports on a fat basis for 2024 while skim-solids-based exports stay the same.
The forecasts of solid worldwide demand provide a picture of the global dairy industry and drive the increasing export projections for fat and skim-solids bases. Farmers, producers, and other interested parties, including manufacturers, depend on this realization as they make plans for 2025. Driven by planned imports of butter and milk protein-containing products, import forecasts for 2024 are also on the rise; similarly, projections for 2025 show the same increases.
The recent price increases’ positive trend has helped raise the price estimates for butter, cheese, whey, and nonfat dry milk (NDM) for 2024. Milk prices in Class III and Class IV are thus rising. Furthermore, the all-milk price projection was raised to $21.60 per cwt. For those in the market, this upward trend in pricing shows encouraging signals.
Butter, cheese, and whey prices will rise as the strong demand for dairy products continues until 2025. Though the NDM forecast stays, the same, higher product costs have driven up the Class III and IV milk price projections. The predicted 2025 all-milk price these days is $21.50 per cwt.
Beef Forcast
Looking forward to 2025, increased slaughter for outlying quarters more than offsets decreased predicted slaughter in the first quarter. These cattle will most likely be sold and killed in the second half of the year because they are put on feed in the first half. Furthermore, clothing weights are projected to stay high throughout 2025.
Given the limited cattle and beef supply, average prices for 2025 should be higher than those for 2024. With prices hitting $186 per cwt in the fourth quarter, the fed cattle price projection for 2024 was calculated at $184 per cwt. The average throughout 2023 per cwt was $175.54.
Feed Supply, Price Forecasts
The WASDE data from the USDA provides possible information on dairy feedstuff availability and pricing:
Comparatively, the 2024-25 U.S. corn projection is the same this month compared to the previous month.
Forecasts for global coarse grain output for 2024–25 show 1.4 million tons down to 1.511 billion. Relative to last month, this month’s foreign coarse grain prognosis shows lower output, somewhat greater trading, and smaller ending stockpiles. Foreign corn output is slightly higher, rising for Ukraine and Zambia, somewhat offset by a decline in Russia.
From the May projection, the expected season-average corn price received by growers remained the same at $4.40 per bushel, down 25 cents from the 2023-24 average of $4.65 per bushel.
This month’s U.S. soybeans for 2024–25 show greater starting and ending stockpiles.
Higher starting stockpiles indicate lower crush for 2023–24, down 10 million bushels on less soybean meal.
The Bottom Line
Based on the USDA’s most recent estimates, milk output is predicted to be constant for 2024–25 despite expected price rises resulting from significant demand for dairy products. Likewise, beef output is steady, yet tighter supply might lead to more expensive goods.
Though pricing trends have dropped compared to past years, feed supply predictions for maize and soybeans reveal an unaltered view. As dairy and cattle farmers control expenses, this might provide both possibilities and problems.
Juggling consistent output, price changes, and feed expenses will be vital for the agricultural sector. Markets for dairy and beef must adapt and be creative to ensure profitability and sustainability.
Key Takeaways:
- Milk Production: Milk production forecasts for 2024 and 2025 remain unchanged from last month, with only slight adjustments. The 2024 production is estimated at 227.3 billion pounds, a modest increase from 2023’s total of 226.4 billion pounds.
- Milk Prices: Price forecasts for butter, cheese, whey, and nonfat dry milk (NDM) are raised for 2024 due to recent price strength. The Class III milk price is now forecast at $17.90 per hundredweight (cwt), while Class IV is projected at $20.50 per cwt. The all-milk price is raised to $21.60 per cwt.
- 2025 Milk Production: The production estimate for 2025 remains steady at 229.3 billion pounds. Prices for butter, cheese, and whey are expected to rise due to strong demand, while NDM prices remain stable. Class III milk is forecast at $17.70 per cwt and Class IV at $20.10 per cwt. The all-milk price for 2025 is $21.50 per cwt.
- Beef Outlook: Beef production and average cattle prices are forecast to rise in 2025. Despite lower expected slaughter in the first quarter, increased slaughter in subsequent quarters and higher dressed weights are expected to sustain production levels.
- Feed Supply: The 2024-25 U.S. corn outlook remains unchanged, with foreign coarse grain production slightly lower. Soybean beginning and ending stocks are projected higher, with the soybean price forecast at $11.20 per bushel. Dairy-quality alfalfa hay prices averaged $315 per ton in April.
