Protein, especially high-quality protein, is the name of the game and the shining star across the entire livestock portfolio. Dairy, beef, pork, and poultry products are all performing well at the retail level with strong sales that are growing year-over-year based on Circana sales data. What’s interesting is that the data doesn’t show consumers pulling back on beef despite record high prices. In fact, it’s quite the opposite with multiple consecutive months of double-digit y

The U.S. dairy industry is currently rewriting the record books. What began as a steady recovery has transformed into a generational expansion, marked by a relentless 16-month streak of production growth that has not been seen in more than a decade. As the industry looks toward the second half of 2026, the data suggests cow power is back in a big way, driven by a rare alignment of herd expansion, technological efficiency and regional shifts. A Streak for the Ages According to

The milk cow population in the U.S. has grown significantly in 2025 and the first quarter of 2026 (Chart I). During this time the milk cow population has grown by 3%. As covered in prior posts, domestic consumption of most dairy products is not growing. The trend for increased milk cows is not showing any slowing. This has created a need to export U.S. dairy products. It is also keeping wholesale prices for dairy products low, which in turn keep producer prices low. Belo