Today’s Harvest Blog

Across the country, dairy producers are seeing an unexpected bright spot in their bottom lines — record-high calf prices. In the past month, feeder cattle prices have reached record highs, with beef calf prices surpassing $1,600 per head. The growing beef-on-dairy trend has transformed calf sales into a meaningful revenue stream, adding $3.00 or more per hundredweight to many producers’ bottom lines.

Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) is a federally subsidized risk management program designed to protect against a decline in livestock prices, allowing producers to set a price floor and mitigate risk from marketplace volatility. 

As the region celebrates Dairy Month this June, the New York agricultural community has even more reason to cheer: Governor Kathy Hochul recently announced that $21.6 million has been awarded to 103 farms through the Dairy Modernization Grant Program.

The dairy industry is inherently unpredictable, with market fluctuations, weather conditions, and production variables all contributing to an unstable income landscape for dairy farmers. Dairy Revenue Protection (DRP) is a valuable tool to mitigate these risks and provide a more stable financial footing.