Pay and Feed Prices March, 2026
By Ed Maltby, NODPA Executive Director
Year-end total sales of organic packaged fluid milk show a decline of 1.19% over 2024 sales. The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Market Information Branch published estimated national organic fluid milk product sales for November, December and year-end 2025, compiled with data from the Federal Milk Marketing Order. Total US sales of packaged organic fluid milk products were estimated at 234 million pounds in November 2025, with organic Whole Milk sales at 128 million pounds, and sales of organic Fat Reduced Milk at 104 million pounds. In December 2025, total sales of organic packaged milk were 263 million pounds, with sales of organic packaged Whole Milk at 146 million pounds, and sales of organic Fat Reduced Milk at 115 million pounds.
In November 2025, the data shows a decrease in sales of Organic Whole Milk packaged fluid products of 1.9% over November 2024, and the December 2025 data shows a decrease in sales of 1.1% from December 2024. There was a 9.6% decrease in Organic Fat Reduced Milk in November 2025 over November 2024, and a 4.8 % decrease in December 2025 over December 2024.
Year-end total sales of packaged organic milk were 2,983 million pounds for 2025, a drop of 1.9% from 2024, with whole milk sales increasing by 1.9 % to 1,628 million pounds and Fat Reduced Milk sales dropping to 1,339 million pounds, a 6% decrease over 2024. These annual changes follow the trend of the last ten years, with organic Whole Milk increasing and Fat Reduced milk consumption decreasing. The anomaly of the 2024 increase of 7.23% in organic packaged milk sales is highlighted in the chart below and gives context to 2025 data. The loss of farms during the period of stagnated Pay Price and marginal changes in sales volume (except for the COVID years) made it impossible for buyers to respond to increased demand for organic fluid milk without ready access to supply. The inability of organic dairy producers to respond quickly to increased demand is in the nature of organic farming, which sustains the soil and livestock rather than exploits them. It is also required by the certification regulations that safeguard the integrity of the organic seal. This shortage of supply, caused primarily by leading organic milk buyers, is the most plausible explanation of the drop in sales of organic packaged product, but packaged fluid product is only one use of organic milk. We don’t know the volume of organic milk that is not Class 1, nor do we know the total volume of organic milk sold in the commercial market. The information is within the USDA system but is not published. Estimates of total milk volume, based on the number of organic cows, are difficult as annual milk volume per cow will vary a great deal between low production Grass Fed and the more intense production of some established herds and organic mega dairies.
|
Year |
Fluid milk sales (million pounds) |
Change year to year |
Whole Milk |
Fat Reduced products |
|
2006 |
1,062.00 |
244 |
818 |
|
|
2007 |
1,413.00 |
33% |
321 |
1,092 |
|
2008 |
1,676.00 |
18% |
389 |
1,287 |
|
2009 |
1,602.00 |
-4.60% |
371 |
1,231 |
|
2010 |
1,799.00 |
11.00% |
432 |
1,367 |
|
2011 |
2,074.00 |
13.30% |
349 |
1,575 |
|
2012 |
2,157.00 |
3.80% |
499 |
1,607 |
|
2013 |
2,267.00 |
4.90% |
617 |
1,650 |
|
2014 |
2,491.00 |
9.00% |
742 |
1,702 |
|
2015 |
2,438.00 |
-2.20% |
881 |
1,614 |
|
2016 |
2,573.00 |
5.20% |
951 |
1,624 |
|
2017 |
2,577.00 |
0.20% |
1,012 |
1,564 |
|
2018 |
2,594.00 |
0.70% |
1,062 |
1,523 |
|
2019 |
2,604.00 |
0.25% |
1,139 |
1,465 |
|
2020 |
2,880.00 |
10.59% |
1,270 |
1,605 |
|
2021 |
2,901.00 |
0.73% |
1,320 |
1,562 |
|
2022 |
2,846.00 |
-1.90% |
1,350 |
1,484 |
|
2023 |
2,836.00 |
-0.35% |
1,412 |
1,410 |
|
2024 |
3,041.00 |
7.23% |
1,597 |
1,423 |
|
2025 |
2,982.00 |
-1.94% |
1,629 |
1,338 |
The average national retail price for organic milk, as recorded by Federal Milk Marketing Order in December 2025, increased to $5.44 per half gallon for Whole Milk and Organic Reduced Fat 2% milk. The average annual retail price for 2025 was $5.19 per half gallon compared to 4.81 in 2024, an increase of $0.38 year-over-year. This year-over-year increase is equivalent to $8.84 per cwt. In January 2026, there was a national average retail price of $5.43 for Organic Whole Milk half gallon and Reduced Fat 2% milk. There was the usual range in prices for different locations, with a low of $4.49 in Syracuse, NY; $5.01 in Boston, MA; $5.48 in Hartford, CT and a high of $6.89 in Pittsburgh, PA. Of the 30 cities reporting data, 10 had retail prices under $5 and eight had retail prices over $6, with the rest in the $5 per half gallon range.
Organic milk and cream are still very short in the Northeast and with the lack of high-quality feed and harsh winter weather it’s not likely to improve. Reports are that supply is tight in other parts of the US. There is serious competition between milk buyers and some, including Lactalis, are bringing new producers on-line in the Midwest to supply co-packers in the region. They are also hiring more workers for their Brattleboro VT plant.
Pay Price is ranging from an annualized average of $35/cwt to $45/cwt for grain and pasture fed organic dairies, with Grass Fed organic certified dairies Pay Price ranging from $38/cwt up to $50+/cwt. Grass Fed A2A2 regenerative organic certification herds are in the $50 to $60 range. Spot milk, when available, is still in the $60 /cwt. range.
Estimated Fluid Milk Products Sales Reports
|
Product Name |
Sales of Organic Fluid Milk |
Change from |
||
|
|
November 2025 |
2025 Year to date |
November 2024 |
Year to date -2024 |
|
Million pounds |
Percent |
|||
|
Organic Whole Milk |
128 |
1,483 |
-1.9% |
2.2% |
|
Flavored Whole milk |
1 |
9 |
-32.1% |
-7.5% |
|
Organic Reduced-Fat Milk (2%) |
75 |
879 |
-7.8% |
0.9% |
|
Organic Low-Fat Milk (1%) |
14 |
182 |
-25.4% |
-20.0% |
|
Organic Fat-Free Milk Skim |
10 |
110 |
-3.3% |
-8.9% |
|
Organic Flavored Fat-Reduced Milk |
4 |
53 |
14.3% |
-21.6% |
|
Other Fluid Organic Milk Products |
1 |
5 |
-40.4% |
-26.9% |
|
Total Fat Reduced Milk |
104 |
1,223 |
-9.6% |
-6.1% |
|
Total Organic Milk Products |
234 |
2,720 |
-6.0% |
-1.8% |
|
|
||||
|
Product Name |
Sales of Organic Fluid Milk |
Change from |
||
|
|
December 2025 |
2025 Year to date |
December 2024 |
Year to date -2024 |
|
|
Million pounds |
Percent |
||
|
Organic Whole Milk |
146 |
1,628 |
-1.1% |
1.9% |
|
Flavored Whole milk |
1 |
10 |
13.0% |
-5.8% |
|
Organic Reduced-Fat Milk (2%) |
85 |
963 |
-2.5% |
-1.1% |
|
Organic Low-Fat Milk (1%) |
16 |
198 |
-19.7% |
-20% |
|
Organic Fat-Free Milk Skim |
10 |
120 |
-3.6% |
-8.5% |
|
Organic Flavored Fat-Reduced Milk |
5 |
58 |
18.0% |
-19.4% |
|
Other Fluid Organic Milk Products |
1 |
5 |
-11.4% |
-25.3% |
|
Total Fat Reduced Milk |
115 |
1,339 |
-4.8% |
-6.0% |
|
Total Organic Milk Products |
263 |
2,983 |
-2.7% |
-1.9% |
Data may not add due to rounding to the nearest million pounds
Dowload chart below
Federal Milk Marketing Order 1 (Order) reported that, in December 2025, fluid Organic Milk packaged and utilized within the Order totaled 41.65 million pounds; higher than the December 2024 total of 29.62 million pounds. In December 2025, sales of Organic Whole Milk packaged in the Order were 24.25 million pounds, 5.53 million pounds higher than December 2024. In December 2025, sales of Organic Reduced Fat Milk packaged and utilized in the Order were 17.4 million pounds, 2.78 million pounds higher than December 2024. Total Class 1 milk (both conventional and organic) packaged outside the Order, but sold within the Order, increased by 9.58 million pounds in December 2025 over December 2024.
The annual volume of Class 1 organic milk in 2025 in FMMO 1 was 428.66 million pounds, a 6.6% increase over 402.16 million pounds in 2024. Organic milk averages approximately 19% of the fluid milk packaged in the Order. Class 1 milk coming into the Order during 2025 was 1,730.45 million pounds, both conventional and organic, which has increased by 71.61 million pounds over the 2024 total of 1,658.84 million pounds. Stonyfield/US Lactalis, UNC Dairy (Upstate Niagara) and other plants that process non-Class 1 products are not included in this data.
In January 2026, sales of fluid Organic Milk packaged and utilized within the Order totaled 38.50 million pounds, higher than the previous year of 34.31 million pounds, an increase of 4.19 million pounds or 6.59%. In January 2026, sales of Organic Whole Milk packaged in the Order were 21.45 million pounds, 3.46 million pounds higher than January 2025. In January 2026, sales of Organic Reduced Fat Milk packaged and utilized in the Order were 17.05 million pounds, 0.74 million pounds higher than January 2025. Packaged organic and conventional milk coming into the Order in January 2026 increased by 2.4 million pounds over the same period in 2025.
|
UTILIZATION OF ORGANIC FLUID MILK PRODUCTS (Class 1) (Million pounds) in FMMO 1 (Northeast) not including packaged product out of order |
|||||||
|
Month |
Fluid retail Organic Milk 2026 |
Fluid retail Organic Milk 2025 |
Fluid retail Organic Milk 2024 |
Fluid retail Organic Milk 2023 |
Fluid retail Organic Milk 2022 |
Fluid retail Organic Milk 2021 |
Fluid retail Organic Milk 2020 |
|
Jan |
38.50 |
34.31 |
34.93 |
37.00 |
29.14 |
31.32 |
23.93 |
|
Feb |
|
29.46 |
31.50 |
31.65 |
33.65 |
31.56 |
26.69 |
|
March |
|
37.70 |
34.82 |
37.37 |
31.56 |
31.87 |
27.90 |
|
April |
|
35.86 |
35.68 |
31.51 |
33.23 |
28.97 |
29.35 |
|
May |
|
34.85 |
38.95 |
36.24 |
30.49 |
29.72 |
28.25 |
|
June |
|
35.08 |
31.51 |
34.59 |
31.53 |
28.41 |
26.90 |
|
July |
|
36.09 |
35.54 |
31.15 |
29.44 |
25.50 |
26.70 |
|
Aug |
|
32.69 |
34.07 |
33.75 |
32.12 |
27.18 |
24.70 |
|
Sept |
|
37.57 |
31.72 |
28.32 |
35.00 |
30.26 |
29.70 |
|
Oct |
|
36.46 |
29.62 |
33.54 |
34.83 |
29.47 |
25.78 |
|
Nov |
|
36.94 |
30.48 |
31.19 |
31.13 |
31.07 |
24.47 |
|
Dec |
|
41.65 |
33.34 |
33.56 |
33.78 |
31.36 |
28.13 |
|
Annual |
|
428.66 |
402.16 |
399.87 |
385.90 |
356.68 |
322.50 |
Download chart below
There are 3 other FMMO’s that publish reports on the volume of Class 1 organic packaged milk in their Order, two of which report how much is ‘exported’ to other Orders. In December 2025, of the 263 million pounds packaged and sold as Class 1 organic milk in the US, 53.74 million pounds were from Order 32 (Central), of which 47.56 million pounds were utilized in other Orders. Order 51 (California) packaged 42.48 million pounds of organic milk in December 2025, of which 693,018 pounds were sold in other Orders. Order 33 (Mideast) packages less than Order 1, 32 and 51, with 21.34 million pounds in December 2025. Texas in the Southwest F.O. 126, and the Pacific Northwest F.O. 124 do not publish any breakdown of Class 1 organic milk or any other data on organic milk despite the new dairies coming into production. Of the 263 million pounds of organic packaged milk from In-Area sales recorded nationally by FMMO and aggregated by the AMS Dairy Program Market Information Branch, approximately 104 million pounds are not accounted for in the individual FMMO’s.
|
UTILIZATION OF ORGANIC FLUID MILK PRODUCTS AND CREAM BY POOL PLANT (Million pounds) in FMMO 32 (Central) |
||||||||
|
Month |
2026 |
2026 sold out of order 32 |
2025 |
2025 out of Order |
2024 |
2024 out of order |
2023 |
2023 out of order |
|
January |
52.72 |
46.81 |
55.36 |
48.77 |
56.23 |
49.82 |
55.21 |
48.70 |
|
February |
|
|
47.93 |
42.49 |
51.88 |
46.12 |
49.11 |
43.63 |
|
March |
|
|
50.05 |
43.78 |
53.96 |
46.29 |
52.73 |
45.44 |
|
April |
|
|
47.65 |
42.20 |
54.13 |
48.09 |
49.18 |
43.53 |
|
May |
|
|
48.28 |
42.58 |
51.32 |
45.51 |
48.21 |
42.78 |
|
June |
|
|
44.98 |
39.66 |
52.56 |
47.04 |
45.20 |
39.63 |
|
July |
|
|
50.18 |
43.93 |
52.68 |
47.04 |
48.45 |
42.75 |
|
August |
|
|
46.74 |
41.32 |
55.63 |
49.37 |
48.47 |
42.85 |
|
September |
|
|
49.37 |
43.62 |
50.68 |
45.27 |
48.76 |
43.18 |
|
October |
|
|
51.94 |
46.26 |
50.36 |
44.47 |
49.73 |
42.48 |
|
November |
|
|
46.75 |
41.76 |
48.04 |
42.04 |
49.60 |
44.12 |
|
December |
|
|
53.76 |
47.58 |
53.98 |
47.21 |
54.17 |
48.10 |
|
Total |
|
|
592.99 |
523.94 |
631.45 |
558.25 |
598.82 |
527.18 |
The USDA AMS Market News Vermont Report has published data since November 2023. The weighted average Pay Price is $38.19/cwt for year-to-date November 2025, with a monthly range of $36.06/cwt to a maximum of $40.61/cwt (does not include any deductions for hauling). The average daily production per cow, year-to-date, averages 46.32 lbs./cow. The milk buyers in Vermont are CROPP Cooperative, US Lactalis direct supply, Upstate Niagara (newly named UNC Dairy) and many small processors or direct-to-consumer operations. The total number of organic dairies in VT is 117 according to the VT Department of Agriculture.
The USDA AMS Market News Pennsylvania Report shows a 2025 November year-to-date range of Pay Price from a low of $37.52/cwt to a high of $42.16/cwt. The average weighted price over the11-month period is $39.28, slightly higher than the Pay Price shown for VT. The average daily production per cow for the 11-month period is 31.63 pounds, 14.69 pounds lower than the VT average.
Download chart below
Organic Milk Exports
The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) releases monthly export data which includes export volumes and values for organic milk categorized as HS-10 code 0401201000, milk and cream, not concentrated nor sweetened, of a fat content, by weight, exceeding 1% but not exceeding 6% certified organic. The data from October 2025 shows organic milk HS-10 exports were 12,050 cwt., an increase of 1,512 cwt. over the same month in 2024, a 14% increase from 2024 to 2025. November 2025 data showed exports of 6,918 cwt., a decrease of 4,489 over November 2024, a 39% decrease. Recently released data for December 2025 indicated organic milk exports were 7,134, up 3.1 percent from the month prior, but down 20.7 percent from December 2024. Exports of organic milk for 2025 were 124,583 cwt, up 45,047 cwt. or 56.6 percent, compared to the period one year ago. 75% of these exports were to North America. None of this milk is subject to tariffs under the USMCA and any increase will still fall below the level where current agreements mandate tariffs being added.
Download chart below
Auction News
A snapshot of a couple of auctions:
Premier Livestock and Auctions, N13438 State Hwy 73, Withee, WI 54498 had the following information from an auction in January 2026: Top Organic Dairy Cows – $3,000-5,200; Lesser Quality Organic Dairy Cows – $2,975 and Down; Top Organic Springing Heifers – $3,500-6,200; Top Organic Shortbred Heifers – $3,000-5,000; Top Organic Open Heifers – 717# – $3,900, 730# – $3,700. There is an auction on March 18th at the Premier Livestock and Auction where there is approximately 140 organic dairy cows and heifers for sale.
At Hoskins Livestock Auction, New Berlin, NY in January 2026, the average price range for organic cattle was: Certified Organic Steers/Bulls: $175-220 per hundredweight (cwt); Certified Organic Market Cows- High Yielding Cows: $145-182 per cwt. - Low Yielding Cows: $144 and down per cwt. Milking age organic cows varied from a high of $2,900 to a low of $1,500 with organic bred heifers at $2,675 and open heifers at $1,575.
USDA AMS report from a Pacific Northwest livestock auction: the overall average for organic cull cows was higher than for conventional cull cows. The average price for organic cows auctioned was $155.08 per hundredweight. The demand for both good organic and conventional calves, cows, and heifers remain high but buyers are more selective. With the national beef herd still at the lowest level for many years, demand for beef calves is still high, which is good for cash flow but perhaps not so good for organic dairy replacements.
Organic Feed
Data from USDA for the Northeast has organic feed corn delivered to the elevator averaging $13.60 per bushel in February 2026. Organic feed soybean delivered to the elevator averaged $25.94/bu. in February 2026. Organic feed wheat averaged $7.56/bushel in February 2026. Soybean meal is trading at $850-900/ton with consistent demand. I have no accurate information on the price of hay, which depends on availability and expensive trucking. Hay availability in the US is affected by prolonged drought in many areas including Colorado.
Attached Files:
- Milk export chart.pdf
- Organic Grain and Hay prices 3-1-2026.pdf
- Pay and retail price 3-1-26.pdf
- VT and PA Organic Dairy Report.pdf
Posted: to Organic Pay, Feed & Grain Prices on Tue, Mar 3, 2026
Updated: Sat, Mar 7, 2026