While we wait for the official May Class 3 milk price which will be released Thursday, we know the April all-milk price for Wisconsin dairy farmers was $18.80 a hundredweight — up $1.30 from March and $4.50 better than a year ago. The U.S. all milk price for April was $18.40 — a dollar higher than March. All 24 of the top milk-producing states saw higher prices in April with South Dakota dairy farmers seeing the biggest increase — up $1.50 to $20.70. Minnesota’s April all milk price was $20 while Michigan had the lowest all milk price at just $17.20.
Prices for most of the other major commodities produced in Wisconsin were also higher in April. Corn averaged $5.15 a bushel — up 40 cents from March and $2.05 a bushel more than last April. Soybeans averaged $13.80 a bushel — 80 cents more than March and $5.67 above last April. Oat prices averaged $3.31 a bushel — 16 cents more than March but 28 cents below last year. Hay prices fell in April, with the all hay price averaging $148 a ton — $11 less than March and $9 less than last April. Alfalfa hay brought $157 a ton in April — $15 less than the March price and $7 less than a year ago.
Virtual trade talks were held this past week between our Trade Ambassador Katherine Tai and China’s vice-premier. While no substantive accounts of that conversation were released, observers said the meeting was just the start of in depth trade talks between the two countries. So far, Tai’s office will only say she has mixed feelings about the U.S.-China Phase One Trade Agreement put together by the Trump Administration, especially regarding manufactured goods, energy and agricultural commodities. The Chinese are reportedly putting pressure on the Biden Administration to roll back the tariffs put on Chinese products by former president Trump as a way to move trade talks forward. Both sides say they will continue talking but no next meeting date has yet been set.
President Biden released his proposed $6 trillion budget last week and it looks like there will be an increase for U.S. Department of Agriculture programs. The new budget would raise last year’s USDA budget of $29.9 billion by 9 percent. That would include $700 million for broadband expansion, $6.7 billion for the SNAP and other food programs, $1.5 billion for climate programs and $4 billion for research, education and outreach programs. The budget calls for no cuts to any farm programs.
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