Four things to know as milk prices cycle lower
- ZISK APP
- Jul 1
- 1 min read
Producers are seeing lower milk prices from January 2025 highs. While this downturn still reflects basic supply and demand, there are significant differences compared to recent cycles: strong cull and beef prices, earning component incentives, corn silage quality by region and a younger generation of managers.
Read on as we unpack what dairy producers should know about this milk price downcycle.
1. Strong beef prices
High cull cow and beef prices are one of the biggest contrasts to previous low‑milk‑price periods. They are supporting cash flow, and dairies are leaning into breeding and raising more beef-on-dairy. Still some caution is called for because every cow bred to beef means one less replacement animal for the herd. Raising a dairy heifer to first calving takes about two years, then another three years to truly break even
Liang Chen and Cesar Matamoros
April 21, 2026
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