Policies, Politics and the Way We Price Milk
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Transcript of Policies, Politics and the Way We Price Milk
Policies, Politics and the Way We Price Milk
Mark StephensonDirector of Dairy Policy Analysis
What Is Special About Milk?
It’s perishableIt’s bulkyIt’s produced and must be sold 365 days a yearSpecialized assets for productionMany more sellers than buyersRelatively inelastic demand for productsHistorically led to “destructive competition”
Federal Milk Marketing Orders
Cooperatives had modest success in policing the marketplaceFederal government instituted Marketing AgreementsShortly thereafter, Marketing Agreements became Marketing OrdersMarketing Orders act like a traffic cop in the market
They regulate the terms of tradeThey measureThey assure compliance
Classified PricingClass I — generally highest priceClass IIClass IIIClass IV — generally lowest price
What is consistent with this ordering?
These are minimum prices to be paid!
PoolingProcessors contribute differently to the Federal Order Pool, but producers receive the blended value.
Regulating Minimum Prices
Price
Quantity
Demand
Supply
Pm
Qm
Ps
QdQs
Pd
Over-Order Premiums will get you back
here.
Benefits of FMMO for Producers
Classified pricing can improve producer returns but it is not a price support—Markets must still clear.Pooling is about equity—sharing in those higher returns
Sharing a pool comes at a cost—qualification and performance
Plants are auditedPrices are coordinated across markets (efficiency in transportation)
Benefits for ProcessorsPlants know that their competitors are paying at least the minimum class price.Manufacturing plants get a “pool draw” to pay their producers the same uniform or blend price.
Both producers and processors benefit from federal order data
TestingAudited milk productionTransportation, etc.
How would you price milk?
Ingredient & Product Streams
Milk
Sweet Cream
Ingredients
Whey
Cheese
Dried Whey
Whey Cream
WPC
Permeate
LactoseButter
We want to price this.
Let’s survey the market price for these products and back into a milk price.
Product Price FormulasBased on weekly AMS surveys of product sold
Product Price FormulasButterfat Price = (Butter price - 0.1715) x 1.211
Make Allowance - What does it cost you to transform milk into 1 pound of butter?
Yield Factor - How many pounds of butter can you make from 1 pound of butterfat?
Product Price FormulasDairy producers want a small make allowance and a large yield factorDairy processors want a large make allowance and a small yield factor
How do you determine the correct parameter values?
The Issue of Make Allowance
12¢ 13¢ 14¢ 15¢ 16¢ 17¢ 18¢ 19¢0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Who’s price?
HighestLowestAverage
Minimum Milk Price to Producers
Pounds of ButterfatPounds of ProteinPounds of Other Solids (lactose + minerals)Quality (Somatic Cell)Total Pounds of Milk
Premiums often paid (over order)
Quality (somatic cell, bacteria)VolumeProteinPlant or MarketHauling subsidies
Use policy to fix problems that the market or an individual can’t
Standards of identityFMMOsPrice Support Program
Policy fails when it does too little or too muchEg. Price Support Program
Policy does not determine the end result—only the path that the market takes
New Policy?
Price VolatilityMuch discussion since about 2006
Refundable Assessments (Milk Producers’ Council, 2007)Mandatory CWT (Dairy Farmers Working Together, 2007) Growth Management Plan (Milk Producer’s Council, 2009)Dairy Growth Management Initiative (DFA, 2009)Marginal Milk Pricing (Agri-Mark, 2010)Dairy Market Stabilization Program (NMPF, 2010)Farm Savings Accounts (discussed by DIAC, 2010)Margin Insurance Programs (NMPF’s DPMPP and discussed by DIAC, 2010-11)Market Cow Bonus Program (DPAC, 2011)Farm Savings Accounts (again, processor groups, 2011)Peterson Discussion Draft (July 2011; modified DMSP)Dairy Security Act of 2011 (September 2011)Federal Milk Marketing Improvement Act of 2011 (Casey, October 2011)Rural Economic Farm and Ranch Sustainability and Hunger Act of 2011 (October 2011)
Most have focused on supply correction (temporary quota, cull cow)Some have focused on self-help (better LGM-D, FSA, etc.)
Today’s Issues
Price Risk!U.S. All Milk Price
We Have Four CyclesThere appears to be a 9 month cycle
There appears to be an annual cycle
There appears to be a 26 month cycle
There appears to be a 36 month cycle
Spectral Decomposition
Volatility in Inputs TooNASS Dairy Feed Ration
Some Variation of the The Dairy Security Act of 2011 is the Starting Point
Cost savings by repeal of MILC, DPPSP & DEIP
New safety net with margin protection insurance
Reduce milk price volatility with temporary reductions in milk supply
Points to ConsiderThe program is voluntary.Margin Insurance and the Market Stabilization are linked—you can’t have one without the other.You would have several months to make a decision to register after the bill is enacted.If you register, you will need to make a decision at that time about the level of insurance and the percent of milk.
The MarginNASS All Milk Price
Minus
Ration ValueNASS corn, NASS alfalfa hay, AMS Soybean Meal
Dairy Producer Margin Protection Program
$4 base margin coverage is freePartially subsidized premiums for supplemental coverage (25%–90% of base)Run by FSACalculated as2 month pairsJan-Feb, Mar-Apr,etc.
Historic Trigger Values
Margin Protection Details
If you register, your historic base will be highest annual production in the previous three years.
New producers can register within 180 days of first milk production. Will prorate annual production.
You get margin protection on 80% of this historic base for free.Your annual production history is updated every year.
Margin Protection Details
If you want to protect more than free margin base, you can buy up in 50¢ incrementsYou can protect from 25% to 90 % of your production base.This election is made at the time you register and continues throughout the life of the bill but the levels of supplemental insurance can be changed each year.Annual premiums must be paid by Jan 15 or in 2 installments.
Example Margin Protection
Your historic base is 20 million poundsYou choose a $5.50 margin protection level at 75% of your productionTwo years later you have grown to 30 million pounds.
Example Margin Protection
If margin is calculated as $3.50 average for two months.
Indemnity is triggeredYou are paid $4.00 - $3.50 = 50¢ on your historic base = 50¢ * (200,000cwt / 6 ) * 80% = $13,333You receive a supplemental payment of $5.50 - $4.00 = $1.50 on your production base = $1.50 * (300,000cwt / 6) * 75% = $56,250Total 2 month payment = $13,333 + $56,250= $69,583
Dairy Market Stabilization ProgramUses same margin trigger calculationThe average trigger value is based on consecutive two-month periods
E.g., Jan-Feb, Feb-Mar, Mar-Apr, etc.
Different milk production baseMost recent 3-month averageSame month from previous yearCan select which base calculation each year by Jan 15
Dairy Market Stabilization ProgramTriggers if 2-month average margin is below $6
$5—$6, no payment on milk over 2% of base to 6% of current marketings$4—$5, no payment on milk over 3% of base to 7% of current marketings
Triggers if 1-month average margin is below $4
Under $4, no payment on milk over 4% of base to 8% of current marketings
Dairy Market Stabilization ProgramTriggers can increase
For example, if you were in a $6 trigger event and next month’s calculated 2-month average is now below $5, the more restrictive trigger is active.It appears as though if it is a long trigger event, a rolling 3-month base can incorporate your reduced marketings.Program is suspended when 2-month average is above $6 or U.S. price for cheddar or NFDM is more than 20% higher than world prices.
Modeling the DSANeed many assumptions about participationLook at Baseline and 2 scenarios
High participation, 50% of producers register in each of 4 farm size categories and choose to protect 60% of their milk at a $6 margin.Low Participation differs by farm size: 10%, 5%, 2.5% and 1% of S, M, L, XL protect 50% of milk at $5.
All Milk Price
Government Expenditures
NFOI for Representative Medium Farm