The Latest: July - 2026
Producers Just Keep Adding Cows
On Tuesday, USDA’s latest Milk Production report confirmed that American dairy producers just keep adding cows. They crowded in another 19,000 cows in June, according to USDA’s best guess, and the dairy herd reached 9.677 million head. That’s 192,000 more cows than there were a year ago, nearly equivalent to adding the entire dairy industry of Arizona or Indiana to the U.S. herd in a 12-month span. The U.S. dairy herd is larger than it’s been since 1993.
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The combination of more milk and more cows stopped the bulls in their tracks, and made for a lot of red ink on LaSalle Street through mid-week.
View reportThe bulk of the government buying is supposed to end soon, but, judging by the sudden rally on Thursday, the trade may expect another round of aid for dairy purchases.
View reportConsumers continue to reach for kitchen staples that are familiar and convenient, and Cheddar fits the bill.
View reportAll of the CME spot markets moved higher, and cheese did so with particular verve. Once the laggard, barrels are now the leader.
View reportThose markets that gained ground last week gave some of it back this week, while last week’s losers are now on the rise.
View reportCME spot Cheddar blocks soared to the largest single-session increase on record. Barrels followed reluctantly and the block-barrel spread gaped. The market is on tenterhooks to see whether blocks will move lower or barrels higher to close the gap.
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