Economist says U.S. dairy producers should shift focus from butterfat
- ZISK
- Oct 17
- 1 min read
A recent report shows U.S. dairy producers have excelled at producing butterfat and should consider shifting their focus to producing more protein instead.
Economist Corey Geiger with CoBank tells Brownfield of the top three dairy exporters, the U.S. has grown its production of milk components significantly without a big jump in milk production. “The U.S. has grown butterfat percent 13% where the next biggest growth category has been closer to 2% for New Zealand and the E.U. (European Union). Protein growth, the U.S. has led the world in that as well at about 6% up.”
Geiger says butterfat production grew by leaps and bounds, and farmers have had incentives to make that happen, but he says the demand is about to change the focus of production. “Eight of the last ten years, butterfat led milk checks. It was higher than protein. We are, this fall, going to see a reversal of that. Protein will take over the pole position on milk checks because we need more of it.”
October 16, 2025
By Larry Lee
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