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Derecho, devastation and the mystery of milk pricing

This episode of the Around Farm Progress podcast two hot topics – the impact of that derecho; and the milk price conundrum hitting the dairy industry

Willie Vogt

August 14, 2020

Crops in the Midwest were looking great on August 9, then the storms rolled through and part of that line of storms was a derecho. This ground hurricane brought high-speed winds topping 100 miles per hour on top of what USDA would later predict was a record corn crop. Perhaps no more. Meanwhile, dairy producers are seeing consumers and restaurants go through a lot of cheese and milk, yet milk checks fell. What gives?

In this episode of the podcast Around Farm Progress, Rod Swoboda, editor, Wallaces Farmer, provides an update on the impact of that derecho that spread across the Midwest, but hit Iowa especially hard. He shares the startling numbers and looks ahead to what will be a tough harvest for this part of the world. From lost corn to lost bins, the impact of this weather event has yet to fully manifest itself.

Then Chris Torres, editor, American Agriculturist, delves into a dairy pricing conundrum that's pandemic related. At a time when cheese is flying out off the stores and warehouses to pantries and restaurants, raising the Class III price, farmers are getting discounts in their milk checks. It turns out the way milk is priced in this country is complicated. Torres explains the process and how it's bitten dairy farmers right in the wallet.

Related:Digging into the details of a new virtual farm show

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About the Author

Willie Vogt

Willie Vogt has been covering agricultural technology for more than 40 years, with most of that time as editorial director for Farm Progress. He is passionate about helping farmers better understand how technology can help them succeed, when appropriately applied.

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