Overview
Milk has a farm value of production second only to beef
among livestock industries and equal to corn. Dairy farms,
overwhelmingly family-owned and managed regardless of
size, are generally members of producer cooperatives.
Dairy products range from cheese, fluid milks, yogurt,
butter, and ice cream to dry or condensed milk and whey
products, used mostly as ingredients in processed foods.
Cheese and fluid milk products now use most of the milk
supply.
Government traditionally has regulated both sanitary
and market aspects of the dairy industry. International
trade of dairy products has only occasionally been important
for the relatively isolated U.S. industry.
ERS provides research and analysis on milk production;
the marketing and consumption of dairy products; international
dairy trade; and government programs.
Features
Livestock, Dairy and Poultry
Outlook (monthly) provides key dairy data, market outlook, and
forecasts; issued each month.
 2008 Farm Bill Side-By-Side (August 2008) presents a title-by-title summary of key provisions of the 2008 Act in a side-by-side comparison with previous legislation. The side-by-side includes links to related ERS publications and to analyses of previous farm acts. New features include a user's guide, an A-Z list of major provisions, and a search function.
Economic Effects of U.S. Dairy Policy and Alternative Approaches to Milk Pricing (July 2004) shows that the effects of dairy programs on markets are modest and that current dairy programs are limited in their ability to change the longterm economic viability of dairy farms. Other forces—technology, changing consumer demand, and changes in the marketing and processing sectors—while difficult to measure, are likely to have more impact. (This file is 1.5 MB in size and may take time to download.)
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