MD_DA902 Organic Dairy Fluid Overview Report 18 - Released on May 1, 2020 ORGANIC DAIRY FLUID OVERVIEW New England Organic Milk Sales and Sourcing. Federal Milk Market Order 1, in New England, reports utilization of types of organic milk by pool plants. During March 2020, organic whole milk utilization totaled 14.2 million pounds, up from 13.5 million pounds the previous year. The March 2020 butterfat content was 3.28 percent, unchanged from March 2019. The utilization of organic reduced fat milk for March this year, 13.7 million pounds, dropped from 15.9 million pounds a year earlier. Meanwhile, March 2020 butterfat content, 1.46 percent, rose from 1.34 percent the previous year. Organic Cow Auction Prices. In a recent report of a livestock auction for slaughter cows in Oregon, organic cull cows sold for less than conventional cows. The average price for the top 10 organic cows auctioned was $60.67 per hundredweight, compared to an average price of $69.97 per hundredweight for the top 10 conventional cows auctioned. China Seeks to Revise Organic Certification Measures. The State Administration of Market Regulation and Certification and Accreditation Administration of China (CNCA) announced it is seeking feedback in preparation for revising the existing Administrative Measures on Organic Product Certification, which regulates organic product certification, production, processing, and marketing in China. It has been in place since 2014 (see GAIN Report CH14001). The announcement invites feedback from a diverse group of stakeholders, including government regulators, certification bodies, producers, and importers. To assist and direct the solicitation of comments, CNCA drafted a questionnaire and concordance table. ORGANIC GRAIN FEEDSTUFF OVERVIEW National Organic Grain Feedstuff. The organic feed grade corn market saw moderate trade activity on light demand this week. There were no comparable trades to the prior period. Organic feed grade soybean transactions were active on good demand. Most exchanges traded 48 cents higher. Activity on all other organic grains was sluggish. For more additional information, access the link: https://www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/lsbnof.pdf COVID-19 Intensifies Organic Feed Demand. Some organic and conventional farms are experiencing the same pressures from COVID-19: both are compelled to increase feed purchases. Because of the impact of the pandemic on culling, with regard to limited slaughterhouse activity, alternatives are few as some producers hold onto animals longer than planned. In the same vein, limited feed availability, due to reductions in warehouse deliveries and trucker shortages, prompts short-term unplanned buying, as producers fear running out of feed supplies. Some sources indicate that global feed sales have jumped as much as 10 percent or more in the past month. Information for the period April 20 - May 1, 2020, issued biweekly Published by: Dairy Market News - Madison, WI DANIEL JOHNSON, 608-422-8605 Email: daniel.johnson4@usda.gov Additional Dairy Market News Information: Dairy Market News (DMN) by Phone: (608)422-8602 DMN Website: https://www.ams.usda.gov/market-news/dairy DMN MARS (My Market News): https://mymarketnews.ams.usda.gov