In January, Phoenix Feeds & Nutrition welcomed dairy farmers for a market outlook presentation focused on the forces shaping and impacting the dairy industry in 2026. The session presented by Mike North of Ever.Ag explored global and domestic market trends, feed costs, beef dynamics, and risk management tools. The goal is to help producers navigate an increasingly complex economic environment.
Farmers can now access the full deck and audio of this insightful presentation. Here’s an overview of what it covers:
- The broader U.S. economic landscape, including consumer spending trends, inflation, and what they mean for food demand and dairy.
- Corn market fundamentals, with a focus on inventories, stocks-to-use ratios, yield uncertainty, and what could move prices higher or lower.
- Bonus: video clip of Mike North – how price is determined and the question farmers should be asking themselves now.
- Soybean meal and oil markets, including production, exports, and protein availability for dairy rations.
- Beef market dynamics, including cull cow, calf, and beef-on-dairy values and how beef revenue impacts dairy profitability.
- Cattle price cycles, historical patterns, and what record prices may signal moving forward.
- Bonus: video clip of Mike North – Cattle have developed a rhythm that has historically led us to lower prices in years that end in “six”. What can farmers do?
- Milk production trends, including U.S. and global output, cow numbers, and component growth.
- Dairy processing capacity expansion, particularly in New York, and potential regional impacts.
- Dairy product markets, covering cheese, butter, powders, and whey pricing and export activity.
- Protein demand trends, including growth in sports nutrition and high-protein consumer products.
- Milk price outlooks, with Class III and Class IV futures expectations.
- Risk management tools, including Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC), Dairy Revenue Protection (DRP), futures, options, and livestock risk protection strategies.
We are thankful to Mike North of Ever.Ag for his time, expertise, and insightful resources. At Phoenix Feeds & Nutrition, our goal is to be more than a feed supplier; we strive to be a trusted partner to farmers. Be sure to follow Phoenix Feeds & Nutrition on social media for future meeting dates, speaker announcements, and resources designed to support your farm’s success.