California Ag Network

Category: Dairy Industry

  • IDFA, NMPF Supportive of Biden Administration School Meal Flexibilities, Encourage Expansion of Dairy Offerings

    The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) and the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) shared their support of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) final rule maintaining low-fat, flavored milk and other needed flexibilities in USDA child nutrition program meal requirements through the 2023-2024 school year.

    Michael Dykes, D.V.M., President and CEO of IDFA shared, “Today’s announcement from USDA clears up several years of confusion and takes a positive step toward restoring more varieties of milk to the school meals program. The final rule allows schools to continue to serve milk that students prefer to drink while remaining consistent with the Dietary Guidelines. The rule gives clarity to school meals professionals and food makers as they plan ahead amid supply chain challenges, and it will improve students’ access to dairy products, particularly milk and its 13 essential nutrients, and cheese as a nutrient-rich protein alternate.

    “In 2020, the federal Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee report found that a staggering 79 percent of 9- to 13-year-olds are not meeting the recommended intake of dairy foods and thereby underconsuming a variety of nutrients during childhood and adolescence, including potassium, calcium, and vitamin D. Children of all ages are falling short of these recommendations, and they rely on school meals to meet their nutritional needs.

    “Today’s announcement helps to encourage school meal participation by maintaining a wider variety of milk offerings that kids enjoy. Milk is a major source of calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and vitamin D in the diets of children 2-18 years of age. In fact, about 73 percent of the calcium available in the food supply is provided by milk and milk products. Moreover, it has been proven time and again in schools across the country that when flavored milks are available, kids not only drink more milk—they are more likely to participate in the school meal programs and waste less food, thus truly benefiting from dairy’s important vitamins and nutrients.

    “Yet for years, schools have been burdened with regulations that hamper their ability to provide children with nutrient-dense dairy products. First, whole milk disappeared; then 2%; and then finally 1% flavored milk, which kids prefer compared to non-fat flavored milk. On top of that, schools have more recently had to plan for overly stringent sodium targets that would effectively remove cheese from the menu since sodium is necessary in cheesemaking.

    “IDFA is grateful to USDA for providing needed certainty around school meal flexibilities in the near-term, and we look forward to working with the Secretary and the Department to ensure that nutrient-rich dairy products remain core long-term components of the child nutrition and school meals programs.”

    Jim Mulhern, President and CEO of NMPF added, “Ensuring kids have access to the nutrients they need to grow and thrive is a top priority for dairy. We thank USDA for the rule’s provision that maintains schools’ ability to serve low-fat, 1% flavored milk. One percent flavored milk is not only fully consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, it is also a nutrient-dense, low-fat healthy option kids will choose to drink. I would also like to thank Representatives Joe Courtney and G.T. Thompson for their long-time leadership on this issue. We look forward to continuing to work with them, USDA, and others to help ensure everyone has access to nutritious food.”

  • Bipartisan Ocean Shipping Reform Act Calls for Swift Passage to Give Dairy Companies New Tools to Address Supply Chain Bottlenecks

    The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) and the International Dairy Foods Association commended lawmakers for introducing bipartisan Senate legislation to address the shipping challenges the dairy industry and other U.S. agricultural sectors are facing. The legislation, should it become law, would help alleviate delays and disruptions at U.S. ports that have been a critical part of the export supply chain challenges plaguing U.S. exporters.

    Sponsored by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and John Thune (R-SD), the Ocean Shipping Reform Act (S. 3580) is the Senate response to the House version (HR 4996) passed by a wide bipartisan vote (364 – 60) in December. Senators Baldwin (D-WI), Hoeven (R-ND), Stabenow (D-MI), Marshall (R-KS), Peters (D-MI), Moran (R-KS), Blumenthal (D-CT), Young (R-IN), Kelly (D-AZ), Blackburn (R-TN), Booker (D-NH), and Ernst (R-IA) also joined as original cosponsors of the bill.

    “The supply chain challenges that have beset American exporters pose significant difficulties for U.S. dairy producers, causing over $1.3 billion in export losses for our sector during the first three quarters of 2021,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF. “We greatly appreciate the leadership of Sens. Klobuchar and Thune to introduce legislation that will encourage many of the ocean carriers to stop unfair practices. We are committed to working with the Senators and their colleagues in Congress as legislation moves forward to ensure that a final law delivers the changes our exporters most urgently need to see.”

    “This Senate bill takes strong strides to address many of the challenges dairy exporters have faced, including securing export vessel bookings and combatting unfair detention and demurrage charges, vital issues to ensure our products reach their intended destinations,” said Krysta Harden, president and CEO of USDEC. “When we can’t export our products, we not only jeopardize our foreign customer relationships and markets, but we also lose value-added opportunities that create jobs and investment in the United States. We look forward to continuing to work with Senators Klobuchar and Thune, and others in Congress, to address outstanding concerns and provide for the strongest possible reforms.”

    Michael Dykes, D.V.M., President and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) added, “The Ocean Shipping Reform Act will provide real, long-term solutions for the myriad issues congesting U.S. ports and slowing U.S. dairy exports. The bill places disciplines on ocean carriers’ ability to decline export cargo and when demurrage can be charged, helping to get U.S. dairy exports on the water in a timelier manner. It also strengthens the oversight authority of the Federal Maritime Commission over ocean carriers, the majority of which are foreign owned.”

    “IDFA recently announced a Dairy Exports Working Group with the Port of Los Angeles and shipping company CMA CGM to identify and address supply chain issues hindering U.S. dairy product exports. We are hopeful that the Senate will act with urgency to move the Ocean Shipping Reform Act, sending a signal across food and agriculture that a new group of ‘supply chain problem solvers’ has arrived to remove obstacles and invest in long-term solutions that help American agriculture to thrive.

    “Unlike 20 years ago when we exported very little, the U.S. dairy industry today is the third-largest dairy exporting nation in the world. Today, we need America’s transportation and export systems to function with a level of precision and efficiency that sets a global standard so U.S. dairy can achieve our goal of becoming the world’s leading dairy supplier within a decade.”

    These dairy organizations will continue to work with the Senate to strengthen the measure further as it advances through Congress. Beyond legislation, they will also continue to work with Congress and the administration to identify additional measures to ease the congestion – including calling for further expanding port hours of operation, increased data transparency, and investments in key supply chain infrastructure.

  • Jack Bobo to Explore at Stakeholders Summit if Animal Ag can Save the Planet

    Jack Bobo, food futurist, author and CEO of Futurity, is slated to speak at the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s 2022 Stakeholders Summit. In his keynote presentation, Bobo will explore the forces that will shape the future of food. From growing populations and shifting demographics to consumer demands for healthy and sustainable food products, Bobo will examine the trends and attitudes that drive behavior and what organizations and producers can do to get ahead of them. Bobo joins many other noted experts on the Summit agenda, which is now available along with registration details at  bit.ly/AAA22Summit.

    “The topic of sustainable food systems has been huge over the last few years and especially in 2021 with the culmination of the inaugural United Nations Food Systems Summit,” said Hannah Thompson-Weeman, Alliance vice president, strategic engagement. “We’re thrilled to have Jack Bobo provide an informative and energizing session that discusses emerging trends in the food space and how to create the future we want – for ourselves, our businesses, and our planet.”

    Jack Bobo is CEO of Futurity, a food foresight company that advises companies, foundations and governments on emerging food trends, consumer attitudes and behaviors related to the future of food. He is also the author of “Why Smart People Make Bad Food Choices.” Recognized by Scientific American in 2015 as one of the 100 most influential people in biotechnology, Bobo is a global thought leader who has delivered more than 500 speeches in 50 countries. He previously served as the chief communications officer and senior vice president for global policy and government affairs at Intrexon Corporation. Prior to joining Intrexon, Bobo worked at the U.S. Department of State for thirteen years as a senior advisor for global food policy. An attorney with a scientific background, Bobo received from Indiana University a J.D., M.S. in environmental science, B.S. in biology and B.A. in psychology and chemistry.

    The Alliance’s annual Summit brings together thought leaders in the agriculture and food communities to discuss hot-button issues and out-of-the-box ideas to connect everyone along the food chain, engage influencers and protect the future of animal agriculture. The 2022 event, themed “Come Together for Animal Ag: Be Informed, Be Ready, Be Here,” is scheduled for May 11-12 in Kansas City, Missouri. Preconference webinars will be held in the weeks leading up to the main event. In-person and virtual attendance options are both available.

    Farmers and ranchers interested in attending the 2022 Summit are invited to enter the Alliance’s Instagram photo and video contest for the chance to win free registration, a two-night hotel stay, and $300 travel stipend. Share a photo or video of you, your farm or ranch and a caption explaining why it’s important for you to “Be Informed, Be Ready, Be Here” in-person in Kansas City. Entries are due by February 7. Full contest details are available at animalagalliance.org/resource/2022-stakeholders-summit-photo-contest/.

    Refer a friend and you could both win $100! If you refer a friend to attend the 2022 Summit who has never attended a previous Summit and they list your name as the person who recommended them when they register for the event, you’ll both be entered in a drawing to win a $100 gift card! Each referral will count as one entry and there is no limit on the number of entries for referrers. All registrations for the in-person event with a referral listed made until online registration closes on May 6 will be entered. Both the referrer and the person referred must be registered to claim the gift card.

    Be sure to check the Summit website for the most up-to-date information. A preliminary agenda has now been posted. You can also follow the hashtag #AAA22 for periodic updates about the event. For general questions about the Summit, please contact summit@animalagalliance.org or call (703) 562-5160.

    Get involved:

    Show your support for the Alliance’s outreach efforts by becoming an official Summit sponsor today! For 2022 sponsorship opportunities, please visit animalagalliance.org/initiatives/stakeholders-summit/. For more information, contact Casey Kinler at ckinler@animalagalliance.org.

    About the Alliance:

    The Animal Agriculture Alliance safeguards the future of animal agriculture and its value to society by bridging the communication gap between the farm and food communities. We connect key food industry stakeholders to arm them with responses to emerging issues. We engage food chain influencers and promote consumer choice by helping them better understand modern animal agriculture. We protect by exposing those who threaten our nation’s food security with damaging misinformation.

    Find the Alliance on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

  • New Online Course Provides Roadmap to Greener Pastures

    The regenerative agriculture consulting group, Understanding Ag, LLC, today announced its new, online course providing practical insights and techniques on adaptive grazing is now available. The course is specifically tailored for farmers and ranchers seeking to improve their pastures and profit margins.

    Regen Ag Adaptive Grazing is the second Regen Ag ONLINE virtual course developed by regenerative ag pioneers Gabe Brown, Shane New and Allen Williams, Ph.D., based on their decades-long, on-farm experience in applying soil health-centric, regenerative agricultural principles and practices. Both courses are designed to help farmers and ranchers successfully transition from conventional agricultural practices to more profitable and climate-friendly regenerative practices.

    “Regen Ag Adaptive Grazing is the only comprehensive online course that provides a step-by-step roadmap for farmers and ranchers to integrate key grazing principles into their operations, all of which combine to improve the quality, diversity and quality of grazing biomass,” Williams said. “The modules come complete with video instruction from SHA’s world-renowned cadre of instructors, with supplemental media for students to search, read, watch and interact with.”

    Through the course, Williams said subscribers will receive in-depth instruction on the Three Rules of Adaptive stewardship; observation as a key management tool; determining stock density; calculating forage biomass; the role of biology in improving grazing lands; building a grazing plan and more.

    “Like it’s companion course, Regen Ag 101, Regen Ag Adaptive Grazing contains video lectures, case studies and supporting research gleaned from the very best of Soil Health Academy live workshops across the U.S.,” Williams said. “Through this interactive platform, subscribers can learn and profit from UA’s grazing experts, 365/24/7, as they share their regenerative grazing secrets. Through our years of consulting, we’ve seen how applying these principles leads to more resilient and profitable farming, dairying and ranching operations.”

    According to Williams, a third Regen Ag ONLINE course focusing on regenerative cropping strategies is scheduled for release later this year. To register or to learn more about Regen Ag Adaptive Grazing or the other Regen Ag ONLINE courses, visit www.UnderstandingAg.com.

  • National Mastitis Council to Gather Milk Quality Experts in CA for Annual Meeting

    Come and explore “Future Frontiers” at the 61st National Mastitis Council (NMC) Annual Meeting, Feb. 1-3, 2022, at the Town and Country Resort, San Diego. This event will help the global dairy industry capitalize on available strategies to prevent, treat and control mastitis, enhance udder health and foster animal welfare.

    Given the persistence of the COVID-19 pandemic and related travel restrictions, NMC is providing a “hybrid meeting” – with in-person and virtual attendance options. The 2022 NMC Annual Meeting theme revolves around “Future Frontiers.” To view the meeting agenda and/or to register, go to: http://meeting.nmconline.org.

    “Producing quality milk remains a top priority for dairy producers like myself,” said NMC President Patrick Christian of Christian Hill Dairy, Lomira, Wisconsin, USA. “NMC members are committed to helping dairy producers around the world achieve their milk quality goals.”

    “The NMC Annual Meeting provides a forum to share advancements in reducing mastitis and enhancing milk quality,” said NMC First Vice President Linda Tikofsky, senior associate director, cattle professional services, dairy at Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health. “Additionally, NMC promotes research that explores ‘future frontiers’ and provides information to the dairy industry on udder health, milking management, milk quality and milk safety.”

    This year’s General Sessions feature:

    • Frontiers in Consumer Demands
    • Frontiers in Managing for Milk Quality
    • Frontiers in Mastitis Science
    • Frontiers in Tracking, Treating and Diagnosing
    • Frontiers in Mastitis Management/Fronteras en el manejo de mastitis (presented in Spanish)

    Short course topics include:

    • Team Troubleshooting Real World Milk Quality Problems
    • Uncovering the Mysteries of Somatic Cell Count and Mastitis Data
    • The Bugs that Bug Us
    • How to Successfully Evaluate Milking Center Data to Stimulate Improvement on Dairies
    • Sensor-based Mastitis Management
    • Why, When and How to Perform an NMC Milking System Air Flow Analysis
    • Testing and Interpretation for Milking Machines with Dynamic Control of Vacuum and/or Pulsation
    • An Organized Approach to Developing a Long-term Action Plan for Herds with Poor Teat Ends
    • Dairy’s Commitment to On-farm Social Responsibility: The National Dairy FARM Program
    • Genetics for Mastitis Resistance
    • Training and Retaining Milk Harvest Technicians with the SOP, Roadmap and TWI Approach
    • Strategies to Improve Transition Cow Mammary Gland Health
    • Managing Compost-bedded Pack Barns for Optimal Milk Quality
    • The Human Side of Milk Quality: Taking Your Parlor Team to the Next Level
    • Robotic Milking and Mastitis Management. How does the NMC 10 Point Plan Work for Producers?

    Other highlights of the upcoming meeting include a silent auction, which supports professional development efforts, 5K Fun Run/Walk and recognition of the National Dairy Quality Award winners, NMC Award of Excellence for Mastitis Prevention and Control recipient, and NMC Scholars.

    National Mastitis Council is a professional organization devoted to reducing mastitis and enhancing milk quality. NMC promotes research and provides information to the dairy industry on udder health, milking management, milk quality and milk safety. Founded in 1961, NMC has about 1,000 members in more than 40 countries throughout the world.

  • USDA Outlines New Program with Port of Oakland for Ag Exports

    Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced a new program to help address the export side of the supply chain crisis. The initiative was addressed at a webinar of agriculture industry and policy leaders hosted by the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC).

    The USDA program discussed during the webinar was launched in partnership with the Port of Oakland and will set up a new “pop-up” site at the port dedicated to easing the loading of empty containers with agricultural exports. The new site will also have a dedicated gate with the ability to pre-cool refrigerated shipping containers in order to reduce bottlenecks at the main entrance to the port. The new arrangement should be available beginning in March and will include support of $125 per container for movement logistics costs. See the USDA press release here.

    “Congestion in and around U.S. ports is one of a series of export supply chain challenges undercutting U.S. dairy exporters’ ability to reliably meet the needs of overseas customers for high-quality U.S. dairy products,” said Krysta Harden, president and CEO of USDEC. “By creating a process specific to handling U.S. agricultural exports, we expect USDA’s new partnership with the Port of Oakland will help alleviate some of those challenges. We look forward to working with USDA and our members on this new initiative while continuing to pursue additional legislative and administrative solutions to the dairy export supply chain crisis.”

    “The delays and disruptions in export shipping have cost the U.S. dairy industry well over $1.3 billion through just the first three quarters of 2021 – to say nothing of the rest of America’s agricultural sector. Solving this problem simply cannot wait any longer and today’s announcement of the close collaboration between our associations, the Port of Oakland and USDA is one key step in the right direction,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF. “Today’s webinar brought together leaders in Congress and the Administration whose efforts have been central to the multi-faceted work of addressing agricultural export supply chain challenges. We thank them for their continuing work and their participation today and look forward to pursuing additional steps to deliver relief for dairy exporters.”

    Agri-Pulse, which served as the media partner for the event, reported over 1,200 registrations for the webinar, one of the highest pre-registration figures in the publication’s webinar history.

    Speakers included USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack; John Porcari, the Biden Administration’s Supply Chain Ports Envoy; Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA); Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD); Mike Durkin, president and CEO of Leprino Foods; Andrew Hwang, manager of business development and international marketing for the Port of Oakland; and Jon Eisen, director of the Intermodal Motor Carriers Conference for the American Trucking Association, as well as moderators Krysta Harden of USDEC and Jaime Castaneda of NMPF and USDEC.

    The USDA announcement came just days after Secretary Vilsack hosted a virtual roundtable with leading agricultural industry CEOs on Jan. 27 in which NMPF and USDEC members, among others, raised their concerns tied to exports.

    USDEC and NMPF, in collaboration with other agriculture interests across the U.S., have leveraged a multi-prong approach with Congress and the administration since early 2021 to address the supply chain disruptions plaguing the dairy industry, including unprecedented fees, container availability, and lack of transparency.

    For example, in addition to last week’s meeting at USDA, NMPF and USDEC supported a bipartisan letter led by U.S. Reps. Jim Costa (D-CA) and Dusty Johnson (R-SD) and signed by 71 members of Congress to the White House urging the administration to use its emergency powers to immediately address problems caused by the crisis and mitigate risks to U.S. agricultural exporters. The letter made three specific requests:

    • Utilize available emergency authorities to incentivize carriers to load full outbound containers instead of empties.
    • Utilize emergency actions that allow gross vehicle weight limits to exceed 80,000 lbs., even if only on a temporary basis.
    • Utilize existing tools and authorities to provide immediate access to critical shipping and logistics equipment.

    The National Milk Producers Federation, based in Arlington, VA, develops and carries out policies that advance dairy producers and the cooperatives they own. NMPF’s member cooperatives produce more than two-thirds of U.S. milk, making NMPF dairy’s voice on Capitol Hill and with government agencies. For more, visit www.nmpf.org.

  • National Dairy Board Scholarship Applications Being Accepted

    Applications are being accepted for college scholarships that are awarded by America’s dairy farmers and importers through the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board (NDB).

    Eleven scholarships worth $2,500 each will be awarded, in addition to a $3,500 James H. Loper Jr. Memorial Scholarship to one outstanding recipient. NDB funds, in part, Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), which manages the national dairy checkoff program.

    Undergraduate students in their sophomore through senior year for the 2022-23 academic school year and majoring in one of the following fields are eligible: communications/public relations, journalism, marketing, business, economics, nutrition, food science and agriculture education.

    Scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement, an interest in a career in a dairy-related discipline, and demonstrated leadership, initiative and integrity. Candidates must complete an application form, submit an official transcript of all college courses, and write a short statement describing their career aspirations, dairy-related activities and work experiences.

    Applications can be found at https://www.usdairy.com/about-us/dmi/scholarship

    Completed applications must be received no later than May 6, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. CST. Questions about the program can be submitted to ndbscholarships@dairy.org

  • Taco Bell® Unveils Dairy-Based Beverage with Checkoff Support

    Taco Bell is continuing its run of dairy-based beverages thanks to dairy checkoff support. The chain released the Island Berry Freeze that uses a shelf-stable creamer created by dairy checkoff scientists. It is Taco Bell’s third beverage launch featuring the dairy creamer, beginning with the Pineapple Whip Freeze in May of 2020 and the Mountain Dew® Baja Blast® Colada Freeze last May.

    The Island Berry Freeze features a bit of a twist from its predecessors with a creamer infused with a tropical flavor. This Freeze, offered in blue raspberry or wild strawberry flavors, is available at participating U.S. Taco Bell restaurants through March 12.

    “After the initial success of the Pineapple Whip, it just made sense to build off of that momentum and continue offering beverages that bring a lot of excitement to Taco Bell’s lineup,” said Mike Ciresi, a Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) senior dairy scientist who works with Taco Bell. “Taco Bell is all about bold, exciting flavors, especially with its beverages, and believes the Island Berry Freeze has a flavor that pops and will hit the mark with consumers.”

    Another popular Taco Bell item – the Grilled Cheese Burrito – is back on the menu. The burrito features a blend of mozzarella, cheddar and pepper jack cheeses in addition to reduced-fat sour cream, seasoned beef, rice, crunchy red strips and chipotle sauce. A layer of cheese is then grilled around the tortilla to offer a special experience for cheese lovers.

    The burrito launched in the summer of 2020 and re-entered Taco Bell’s menu last fall with a double steak option. This time, the original version is back for a limited time, which Ciresi expects will be a hit with consumers.

    “The Grilled Cheese Burrito continues to do so well,” Ciresi said. “I am excited it’s back on the menu, and I’m sure Taco Bell fans are as well.”

    Heather Mottershaw, vice president of pipeline innovation and product development for Taco Bell, reiterated how popular these dairy-centric items are with customers.

    “We understand how much dairy enhances our menu in terms of innovation and flavor and it’s supported by the response we get from our customers,” Mottershaw said. “We’re grateful to have checkoff scientists working side-by-side with our team to continue pushing the envelope with items featuring dairy.”

    While sales results of products created with checkoff support are proprietary, Emily Bourdet, vice president of global innovation partnerships for DMI, said the results of all checkoff partners, including at Taco Bell, are making a difference. She said there have been 2 billion pounds of milk equivalent growth overall since the start of the partnerships work, and each partner averages about 3 percent annual growth in dairy volume.

    “In Taco Bell’s case, it’s the innovation that leads to success,” Bourdet said. “From the beginning of the partnership to today, our on-site scientists at Taco Bell have changed the game for how to incorporate dairy and creating excitement for Taco Bell fans.”

    For information about the dairy checkoff, visit www.usdairy.com.

  • Partnership Sales Growth, Gen Z Focus Among 2021 Dairy Highlights

    Checkoff foodservice partners continued to grow sales of U.S. dairy foods and more domestic dairy headed into the international marketplace. There also were increased efforts to connect with the valued Gen Z consumer and dairy’s sustainability journey reached new levels.

    These and other results are some of Dairy Management Inc.’s top checkoff highlights from 2021.

    Despite a year with continued COVID-19 challenges, the dairy checkoff delivered on its mission to drive sales and trust, said president and CEO Barbara O’Brien, who succeeded Tom Gallagher in October.

    “We not only adapted to the pandemic’s realities, we used it as an opportunity to become even more consumer-centric and more efficient and collaborative,” O’Brien said. “We were more determined to address the challenges facing dairy head on, and we found new growth opportunities across the dairy category.

    “Through it all, we were able to showcase farmers being an essential part of the U.S. food system. It was a year where the dairy checkoff made every drop count.”

    O’Brien pointed to the continued success of the checkoff’s foodservice partnerships with globally recognized companies Domino’s, Taco Bell and McDonald’s. She said overall dairy sales at these chains grew anywhere from 3 percent to 6 percent this year.

    Some partnership highlights from 2021 include:

    • Checkoff scientists at Taco Bell’s headquarters helped the chain launch the Mtn Dew Baja Blast Colada Freeze, which features a dairy-based creamer. The team also helped Taco Bell relaunch the Quesalupa, which uses seven times more cheese than the chain’s regular taco.
    • Domino’s met consumers’ needs with new cheesy marinara and five-cheese dips paired with parmesan or garlic twists.
    • McDonald’s featured McFlurries in consumer promotions that grew additional dairy sales.

    International sales growth

    The partnership model that has worked so well domestically found more footing internationally. Selling more dairy into foreign markets is important to U.S. dairy farmers as 1 of every 6 tankers of milk heads into the international marketplace. Also, 96 percent of the world’s population lives outside the U.S. and people are adopting a Western diet and have a taste for American cuisine, including cheese.

    In June, DMI entered a partnership with Alamar Foods Company, which owns 455 Domino’s stores in the MENAP (Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan) region. DMI’s partnership will focus on about 300 locations in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with a goal of increasing U.S. cheese sales.

    For Pizza Hut, the focus in Asia-Pacific was driving value promotions in support of takeout and delivery across key markets in the region, including Japan, Korea and Indonesia. To date, U.S. cheese growth across Asia-Pacific has more than doubled since the on-set of the partnership. Also, Domino’s Japan launched two menu items featuring U.S. cheese – the Jumbo Pizza and the Pizza Rice Bowl. This innovation combines a familiar Japanese dish with the toppings of pizza. Since the beginning of the DMI/Domino’s Japan partnership in 2019, U.S. cheese volume at the chain has doubled.

    Further growth of U.S. dairy sales internationally is being achieved through the checkoff-founded U.S. Dairy Export Council. Through October, total U.S. dairy exports were up 11 percent from the same period a year earlier and remain on a record pace. Export value was up 17 percent to $6.48 billion for the same period, also a record pace.

    Enhanced Gen Z, sustainability efforts

    Checkoff teams nationally and locally continued work to reach Gen Z consumers (ages 10 to 23), who constitute 20 percent of the population. They have about $100 billion in purchasing power, which doesn’t account for the influence they have on their parents when it comes to products brought into the home.

    This is why the checkoff launched a wave of the Undeniably Dairy campaign in October to create deeper connections between Gen Z and dairy and give them new reasons to choose it over other products. “Reset Yourself with Dairy” is a youth-centric initiative that is using various media channels and marketing strategies, including gaming, social media influencers and digital content, as well as retail and college campus promotions, to engage with Gen Z.

    And U.S. dairy’s sustainability efforts received a boost of momentum in many ways. First, checkoff-led efforts helped finalize 5-year, up to $10 million agreements with Nestlé and Starbucks to support research, on-farm pilots and efforts to increase voluntary adoption of environmental practices and technologies across all farms through the U.S. Dairy Net Zero Initiative (NZI).

    Additional NZI funding – a $10 million grant from the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) – will allow for the Dairy Soil & Water Regeneration project to perform feed production research over the next six years. Also announced was the Greener Cattle Initiative, a research program developed with FFAR and five partners to provide $5 million over five years to support research on enteric methane mitigation from cattle.

    More 2021 checkoff highlights

    • The farmer-founded Fuel Up to Play 60 program was repositioned in a fresh way to help students and educators navigate the new school year. Fuel Up to Play 60 unveiled an easy-to-navigate website (www.FuelUpToPlay60.com), educator dashboard and an enhanced student app that allows teachers and parents to learn about the program and access resources focused on dairy nutrition and dairy farmers’ care for the environment.
    • National Dairy Council conducted various dairy-focused educational outreach efforts, which included farmers, with key thought leaders heading into September’s United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS). The event convened international stakeholders from across the food system with the goal of making food production and consumption more sustainable and will serve as a call to action to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
    • National and local checkoff teams, along with dairy companies and other organizations, helped move 664 million pounds of dairy into Feeding America’s network of 200 food banks during its recent fiscal year (July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021). This is an increase of 195 million pounds from the previous year for the checkoff partner, which seeks to distribute more than 900 million pounds of dairy annually by 2025.
    • E-commerce milk sales grew 24 percent and cheese sales by 16 percent (through October versus previous year), fueled by the checkoff’s partnership activities with Amazon and Kroger.
    • Fluid milk partners Darigold, Kroger and Shamrock Rocking Protein launched or expanded value-added products this year with checkoff support.

    More checkoff highlights and strategies are available at www.usdairy.com/for-farmers

    About Dairy Management Inc.

    Dairy Management Inc.™ (DMI) is funded by America’s 31,000 dairy farmers, as well as dairy importers. Created to help increase sales and demand for dairy products, DMI and its related organizations work to increase demand for dairy through research, education and innovation, and to maintain confidence in dairy foods, farms and businesses. DMI manages National Dairy Council and the American Dairy Association, and founded the U.S. Dairy Export Council, and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy.

  • Real California Milk Kicks Off 2022 With Smoothie Retail Campaign

    The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) announced the launch of a consumer promotion focused on starting off the New Year with health and wellness in mind. The “Renew, Reset, Restore” campaign communicates the message that high quality, sustainably sourced California dairy products are a delicious and effective way to help achieve lifestyle goals in the new year. The featured promotional menu includes innovative smoothie and smoothie bowl recipes made with Real California milk, yogurt, and cottage cheese.

    The month-long promotion, which runs through January 30, will be supported with a rebate offer on California dairy products through the Checkout 51 platform. Integrated digital media will include geotargeted email blasts, banner ads and in-line recipe pairings throughout Chicory’s recipe network, sponsored social media posts, targeted display banner ads, Instacart SEO, retailer shopper marketing, and food influencer partnerships.

    “Dairy foods are high in powerful proteins, making them a great option to help with reaching health and wellness goals. These proteins fuel the body by providing a unique combination of nutrients only found in real dairy,” said Katelyn Harmon, Director of Business Development, U.S. Retail for the CMAB. “These recipes are designed to be delicious, packed with nutrients and as easy to make, whether they are enjoyed at home or on the go.”

    California is the nation’s leading milk producer and produces more butter, ice cream and nonfat dry milk than any other state. California is the second-largest producer of cheese and yogurt. California milk and dairy foods can be identified by the Real California Milk seal, which certifies they are made with milk from the state’s dairy farm families.

    About Real California Milk/California Milk Advisory Board

    The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB), an instrumentality of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, is funded by the state’s dairy farm families who lead the nation in sustainable dairy farming practices. With a vision to nourish the world with the wholesome goodness of Real California Milk, the CMAB’s programs focus on increasing demand for California’s sustainable dairy products in the state, across the U.S. and around the world through advertising, public relations, research, and retail and foodservice promotional programs. For more information and to connect with the CMAB, visitRealCaliforniaMilk.com, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.