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Santa delivering for Texas dairy farmers as 2021 comes to a close
By Darren Turley, executive director
Dairy farmers this Christmas asked for better milk prices, and it looks like Santa is going to deliver. Holiday spirits are soaring as futures prices are climbing.
And if that is not enough, a stocking stuffer is that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced some improvements to the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program, the dairy safety net program that provides excellent risk management coverage on the first 5 million pounds of each dairy’s annual production. The improvement that will affect payment calculations the most is the alfalfa hay component of the feed cost calculations; it will now be 100% based on the price for premium hay as opposed to using a 50/50 blend of premium and average quality hay. The signup period for 2022 is underway and will run through Feb. 18 at your local USDA Farm Service Agency office.
The Texas Association of Dairymen Board visited Amarillo recently and toured the nonprofit Snack Pak 4 Kids, which focuses on providing much-needed nutrition for children and seniors facing food insecurity. In Texas, and across the country, it’s becoming a monumental task to source and deliver food to families who struggle daily to get adequate food.
We learned about the difficulties of Snack Pak 4 Kids to source supplies of shelf-stable milk for kids and to store enough whole milk for seniors. Milk and dairy are simple, high-value sources of nutrition. It’s also beneficial to our dairy industry to put milk into homes and develop life-long milk consumers. I encourage you to learn more about Snack Pak 4 Kids and support its important work.
The spirit of giving is on people’s minds during the holidays, but there’s a need year-round to help our neighbors who are dealing with tough times. Dairy families greatly contribute to their local communities, and I know the Texas dairy industry will continue to give in 2022.
This year has been marked by ongoing pandemic concerns, the Uri winter storm and milk production control programs. Dairy producers will be glad to see the end of 2021. I believe 2022 is looking more promising, with dairy futures prices giving rise to much better pricing for the first quarter.
This Christmas, remember to enjoy the blessings of family and remember those in need. A new year brings new hope, and Texans continue to be optimistic about the future of dairy!